Past Disaster
by Sakabatou77
Summary: Five years had passed since the Tokyo Explosion. The Foreign Affairs receive a new recruit, but how will he do on the job. Also, How's Hei's past in South America with Bai and Amber connected to the present. Hei/Amber Hei/Misaki
1. Chapter 1

Darker than Black: Past Disaster

A/N: I'm posting this before my other is done for two reason. One: Dear4life knows about it and she's bugging me to post it; and two: DTB 2 is coming out in October, so I want to get a jump start on things.

Disclaimer: All rights to Darker than Black belong to Bones,Tensai Okamura, and Funimation.

--

Chapter One: The Foreign Affair's New Recruit

One month prior to Heaven's Gate disappearance

Trees cluttered around each other to prevent the sun from piercing through their leaves and warming the mud-infested terrain. Mist rose from the ground and leaves caused by the heat, making the humidity thick and hard to breathe. Mold infested the tree trunks, bushes were scattered about, and broken rotting branches littered the area, giving bugs and other creatures a place to live or hide from predators.

Parrots hidden in the colossal forest chirped, as if they were giving up their location. A lizard lay on the rock while it whipped out his tongue to taste the air. A chimpanzee gazed around the landscape as it munched on bugs.

A toucan flew over the forest line, scanned the area below, and found a spot to land on a branch to shade itself from the blazing sun. In a murky river stream a black caiman's head floated above the surface, as it swam along.

In the mist of the South American Rainforest, a blue-eyed and medium length black-haired man in a black outfit ran through the cluttered terrain. Voices echoed behind him, indicating his pursuers were gaining on him. He came to a halt, looked around the forest for a place to hide, and took cover in a bush to his right.

Moments later MI-6 agents ran passed his area. He waited a moment to make sure it was clear for him to depart the bush.

A minute later he stepped from behind it and headed back to camp.

Things were heating up for some reason. MI-6 was getting more aggressive at attacking the Syndicate and he didn't know if he could keep on protecting his sister.

Suddenly a gun shot behind him to have a bullet strike a tree nearby. He turned around to see his pursuers. He cursed and whipped out his cable line to wrap it around a branch, and retracted it to fly upwards and out of more bullets' paths. He took out a split double-edged blade from his right holster, connected it to his cable, and flung it to embed the blade into one of the man's skull. He ripped the blade out and swung it around to slash another man's throat.

The blue-eyed man retracted his line, disconnected his blade, and flung out his wire to wrap it around the remaining man's neck. He tugged on the line to make the man grind his teeth in frustration while grabbing it to try to loosen it. The blue-eyed man dropped from the tree and hung the man. The man struggled as he suffocated and then died.

The blue-eyed man looked back at the dead men. He turned away from them, and then froze in fear at a man standing before him with a gun pointed at him.

"Die, Black Reaper!" he shouted.

A shot was fired, causing the blue-eyed man to cringe, but he didn't feel a bullet strike him. He looked back at the man to see him falling forward. Behind him stood a woman with green hair and orange eyes wearing a black jump suit with a red vest. She held a gun in her right hand.

"You all right, Hei?" she asked.

The blue-eyed man looked at her baffled.

"A—Amber?" he questioned. "Wh—how did you find me?"

"What, no, 'thanks for saving me?'"

He glared at her to show he didn't feel like playing her games at a time like this.

"We tracked you with Dolls," she said. "Come on, let's go."

Hei snorted and followed Amber through the terrain. He was sick of the Syndicate having to rely on Contractors' help with operations. If they kept on using them, most likely they would turn on them.

"So what happened?" she asked, not looking back.

Hei stared at her back for a few seconds before saying, "Not sure. I was done with my mission and I started heading back, believing none of the MI-6 agents saw me, but then I found out somehow I was being followed. I headed in a different direction to lose them, and then what you saw back there is what happened next."

"They probably used Dolls to locate you as we did. It's smart on the MI-6's and Syndicate's part to have their observing spirits spy off leaves."

"Do you see any right now?"

"No."

Hei made a note to keep a keen eye on her and the other Contractors. If you let your guard down around them, they would take you down without a second thought. Although with Amber around helping protect his sister, Bai, his trust was growing stronger with her. However, if she tried to hurt his sister he would personally kill her.

---

Five years after Hell's Gate Incident

Overcast blanketed the city of Tokyo, as wind blew heavily between the buildings, giving the day a cold feeling for the middle of May. The clouds bundled up together and caused a downpour. Residence flung open umbrellas to shield themselves, or ran through it to reach his or her destination quicker.

Puddles that formed along the curves were splashed onto the sidewalks as cars ran by. A bolt of lightening shot down from the heavens, followed by a roaring thunder. While the rain continued, fewer commuters departed from their homes, or stood in stores and train stations to wait out the storm.

Twenty minutes later the rain slowed. The city's occupants and visitors continued their journey along the drenched sidewalks. A young Asian man, a little taller than an average Japanese man, walked along a back alley looking for an apartment complex while carrying black luggage in his left hand. He had short black and spiky hair, a sharp handsome face, and sky blue eyes. He wore a light green shirt, blue jeans, and a black leather coat with a button strap collar.

The young Asian man stopped in front of an apartment complex he was looking for.

"This is Misuzu," he said.

Above him a window slid open. He glanced upward to see a dark-skinned man looking down at him. The dark-skinned man nodded in which the young Asian man smiled and waved. He walked into the cluttered area, headed over to the office, and knocked on the door.

Seconds later it slid open to show an elderly woman gazing at him angrily. The young Asian man thought apparently she was having a bad day, and he figured it was a mistake to make his appearance.

"You damn gravestone sellers can't leave me alone!" she growled. "I told you people for the past five years I'm healthy enough to live another seventy years!"

"Eh, you see, I'm not here for that," said the young Asian man a little embarrassed. "I'm here to…"

"Oh, you're from the Estate Company! No, I will not sell my property to you A-wholes no matter how high building costs get!"

"No, no." The young Asian man shook his head while waving his hands back and forth. "I'm here for the available room you have. I just moved here and I noticed in the newspaper about this place."

"Is that so? Why didn't you say that to begin with?" The young Asian man frowned at the old lady's comment. "Well, come on in so we can get things approved for you."

The young Asian man entered and kneeled in front of a table. An old man was messing around with a bunch of plants in a cramped garden yard. He figured the old man was her husband and felt sorry for him having to deal with her bickering. The old lady set a stack of papers in front of him.

The young Asian man began filling out the paper work as the old lady looked over his shoulder to watch him.

"Markile? What kind of name is that?" she asked.

"Marcile… Mar-cell" smiled the Asian man.

"Heh?" the old lady muttered, as her eyes slanted sideways. "Is that some kind of European name?"

"No. I come from a Japanese family, but my parents, I guess, wanted me to have a name close to an American name."

"So why not a name like Bill, Bob, or Mike?"

Marcile shrugged while smiling sheepishly, and scratching the back of his head to say, "What's worse is that they didn't realize it's actually pronounced Mar-seal, and it's a girl's name."

The old lady blinked at him baffled.

"You must have had it hard growing up," she said.

Marcile chuckled.

After he was finished and paid a deposit fee on a room, the old lady grabbed a set of keys, and guided him out of the office. They ascended the rusty metal stairs and walked down the balcony to the far end. The old lady stepped in front of room 201, inserted the key to unlock the door, and opened it.

He entered the room and removed his shoes to walk around it. He was pleased there was a sink near the window, and a small bathroom with a shower.

"Suitable for you?" she asked. He nodded in response. "All right. Try not to have any late night parties here."

Marcile nodded again. The old lady handed over the keys to him and left the room. He walked over to the window and opened it to sit on the small balcony to gaze at Hell's Gate in the distance. The thing looked creepy, even with the clouds painted on the walls to make it look as if it were blending in with the sky.

Almost five years ago an eruption had happened at Pandora that was named the Tokyo Explosion. It took Pandora three years to fix the damages and over fiver hundred billion yen. To pay for the cost, prices on estates skyrocketed to where the city citizens almost went bankrupt.

He huffed out the jet lag he was feeling from his eleven-hour flight from O'Hare airport, and figured he needed to get some rest for his big meeting tomorrow morning.

---

Dawn rose. The sky was clear and the day felt warmer than it had the following day. Puddles still lingered along the sidewalks and streets, reminding the citizens and visitors of the struggle they had to endure yesterday.

Marcile exited his room and descended the stairs to depart for his big event. As he reached the corner he heard the office door open.

"Ah, Mark… Masr…" yelled the old lady, already forgetting how to pronounce his name.

He turned around smiling and said, "Marcile."

"Mars-san!" she said instead. "Had a good night sleep?"

"Hai," he nodded. "But I might want to stop off at a store and get a futon."

"Where're you heading to anyway?"

"An interview. It's out in Shibuya."

"Shibuya? Good luck with the crowd on the JR line."

"Thanks."

Marcile waved later and headed for the station. The streets were somewhat crowded for the morning journey, as school kids rampaged around people in business attire.

He fought his way through the cluttered people and crossed busy streets before reaching the JR line. He cursed having to pay a day ticket to make it over to Shibuya. Marcile thought about trying to get his driver's license, but the cost of owning a car was ridiculously expensive in Japan.

Marcile coughed up some of his cash, took his ticket to slide it through a gate, and headed up the stairs that said JR Yamanote line towards Shibuya. He hurried towards a waiting train and made it as the doors closed. There were no empty seats left or a strap to hold on. As the train began its journey to the next station, Marcile grabbed a hold of a pole.

He had seen pictures of Japan from his mother's photo album of how the city was so cluttered, and how their transportation vehicles were built small to accommodate space, but the pictures did little to explain it. On his way from Narita airport traveling along their freeway on a bus, he was amazed that a few semis' trailers were built to the truck, and other trucks' back wheels turned as the fronts did. He was also astounded he could only fit his arm between the buildings spaces, and at how close the buildings were from the tracks. He wondered how someone could tolerate the noise, especially if a person worked night shifts and had to sleep during the day.

Shibuya was finally approaching after passing a few stations. He readied to exit the door he had stepped through, but the speaker said the doors were opening on the other side. Marcile fought his way over while the doors opened, but he was pushed aside as everybody else made their way out, and then people waiting on the platform shoved their way onto the train. Once he made it to the doors it closed on him.

He cursed. The train pulled way from the station and headed to Harajuku. He stood by the door, ready to get off, but to his luck the door was opening on the other side. He pushed his way to the other side and was able to get off. He ran down the stairs and up the other side, making it on time to get on the departing train.

He stood in the middle of the crowd, and when he heard where the doors were opening, he fought over to it. Marcile shoved his way off the train and descended the stairs. Once he was outside the station he sighed out a sign of relief. He was having a heck of a first day, and it wasn't over yet.

Shibuya sparkled with life. The area resembled Time Square with a Billboard on top of a sideways U-shaped building. The roads split into a Y-shape, the left side having a Disney store, and the right side had a Record Tower down the street. The crosswalks were cluttered with pedestrians holding up traffic.

Marcile headed off into the crowd until it dissipated as he drew closer to his destination. Ten minutes later he reached it.

The Police Department was a white rectangular building that was rounded on the corners. It seemed to stand alone, no buildings boxed up to it, giving it an eerie feeling.

He looked down at his watch and saw he had ten minutes to spare, making him praise himself for leaving early.

Marcile trotted up the ramp and entered the building to walk over to the security desk. An old man in a security uniform looked up at him and asked, "Can I help you?"

"Hello, my name is Marcile Fukazawa, and I am here for an interview on the Foreign Affairs level with the Commander," said Marcile.

The security guard nodded, picked up his phone, and dialed a number. He sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Sir, a young man named Fukazawa is here to see you," said the security guard. His eyes looked upwards at nothing as he listened to the other person's voice, and then nodded. He hung up the phone and looked up at Marcile while he handed him a pass. "Fourth floor."

"Thank you," bowed Marcile.

He clipped the pass on his jacket, walked over to the elevators to hit the up button, and waited. Moments later the doors slid open. Marcile stepped on the elevator, pushed the fourth floor button, and rode it up. Within seconds he reached the floor. He exited the elevator and gazed around the confined office. A woman with brown hair typed away on a computer to his right, and a guy wearing a red leather coat sat across from her. A big bulky man with short hair walked up to him.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I have an interview with your commander, sir," said Marcile.

"Oh, all right. Right this way."

The big guy guided him around a few desks and over to a door. On it had the name, "Commander Iasi Obi," written on it. The big guy knocked on the door.

"You may enter," said a man.

The big guy opened the door and gestured for Marcile to enter. He did and stopped in front of a tidy desk. Behind it sat a man in his late forties with short black and greasy hair that was graying, and a goatee. He was dressed in a well-pressed suit, wore rectangular glasses over hollow eyes, and he had a scar on his forehead above his right eye. He had a sharp face, and his body seemed to be in shape. His elbows rested on his desk with his hands laced together while he sat in a perfect posture.

Commander Iasi gestured for Marcile to have a seat in a chair in front of him. Marcile bowed his thanks and did what was gestured. He looked across the desk and waited for the commander to speak. The commander flip opened a file and stared down at it to examine it.

"It says here," began the commander, "you graduated High School in Arlington Heights outside of Chicago, Illinois at sixteen, and finished the police academy at the age of nineteen at the top of your class. You are also fluent in Japanese due to the fact that your parents had taught you."

"Yes, sir," said Marcile.

The commander looked up from the file and said, "You have great potential and most likely succeeding the position of commander at an early age, so why bother wanting to be transferred here of all places? You have a better chance in your hometown."

"I am grateful for your concern, Commander Iasi, but I feel this is the place for me due to the situation that has been going on."

"You mean Contractors?" Iasi asked, as his right eyelid rose. He narrowed them while crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "What do you think about them? Truthfully."

"Truthfully, sir, I think they are a menace to society and have to be dealt with."

"Have you encountered a Contractor before?"

"Yes, sir. My father was killed by one five years ago after the Tokyo Explosion."

"Is that so? So you are seeking revenge?"

"No, sir. My duty as a police officer is to protect the weak from the corrupt."

"Doesn't that include Contractors and Dolls?"

"Sir?"

"There are Contractors out in this world that aren't strong enough to defend themselves. Dolls are weak-minded beings that depend on others. Be careful on how you judge things before you see the real picture; especially under Section-Chief Kirihara's orders."

"Sir, if I may be frank?" The Commander gestured for him to be. "Contractors are deceiving creatures who don't act on their emotions. Why should we show them any compassion if they show none for us?"

"The way you think is how most of us felt around here five years ago, Detective Fukazawa," said a woman behind him.

Marcile looked over his shoulder to see a woman around her thirties. She was dressed in a blue suit, had long brown hair held back in a ponytail, and oval-shaped glasses that hid her brown eye's true beauty.

"Detective Fukazawa, meet Section-Chief Kirihara Misaki," said Iasi. "You'll be working under her wing, and I advise you not to get under her skin."

Marcile looked back at the commander flabbergasted and babbled, "I'm hired?"

"Yes," nodded Iasi. "One of our former colleagues, Kunio Matsumoto, had to retire due to his age. You have an outstanding score, and if we need a translator to speak English, we have you."

"Thank you, sir. When do I start?"

"Now. In fact, we've been waiting for you so we could start a meeting."

Marcile looked at him curiously, as the commander stood from his desk. He gestured for him to stand and follow in which he did. They exited the office, walked around the desks while Kirihara motioned for the big guy, the brown-haired woman, and the red jacket man to follow them.

They entered a white room and sat around a rectangular table in front of a screen. Marcile uncomfortably sat between the red jacket man and brown-haired woman on the right side, as Kirihara and the big guy sat across from them. Commander Iasi sat before everybody.

"You all know we are getting a new colleague," began Iasi. "Everybody, I would like to introduce to you Detective Fukazawa Marcile. Detective Fukazawa, meet Mayu Ootsuka, Yutaka Kouno, and Yuusuke Saitou."

Everybody bowed towards him. He returned it.

"Now that we're all introduced, Ootsuka, can you catch us up on things going around the city," said Iasi.

"QU025 was active last night in Tokyo, unfortunately we couldn't get a location on him," said Ootsuka. "From what we have gathered he has the ability to invade someone's mind and make them do whatever he wants."

"So we don't know who he was attacking."

"No. We've asked the local police to inform us of any bodies found dead to contact us. Also, BK201 was active last night in the same area."

The room seemed to enclose on them and it felt as if it had gotten warmer. Marcile's body stiffened at the messier code. He had heard stories of the Black Reaper who rampaged through South America until Heaven's Gate disappeared, and then mysteriously made his statement five years ago here. The two names gave him goose bumps whenever he heard them. The only thing the Foreign Affairs had gotten on him was that he had used to work for the Syndicate, and his code name is Hei.

"Ootsuka, why are we now just hearing about this?" Section-Chief Kirihara yelled.

Ootsuka shrugged her shoulders. Iasi leaned back in his chair while lacing his fingers together and looked over at them.

"Because I informed Ishizaki to inform me first of any activity concerning BK201," he said.

Everybody stared at him flabbergasted.

"Why would you do a thing like that?" Section-Chief Kirihara asked. "We haven't heard of any movement from him in Japan in the past four years, and now that he's back you're keeping his activity a secret!"

"Have you all forgotten that this unit is still corrupted by the Syndicate? If they got wing of his presence too, our chances of detaining him and finding out where exactly the Syndicate are hiding will go up in smoke."

"I don't think BK201 knows exactly where the Syndicate is. If he did, he would have eradicated them a long time ago."

"Maybe so, but all cases on him are to be forwarded to me first, and then I will inform you all about the situation. Everyone is dismissed, except you, Section-Chief Kirihara."

Everybody stood and exited the room. The red jacket man named Kouno closed the door behind him.

"Man, BK201 is back," he said.

"Yeah, what timing for our new recruit too," said the big guy named Saitou.

"Eh, you guys encountered him before, right?" spoke up Marcile. "What's it like to be in his presence?"

"I never met him face-to-face," said Kouno.

"Neither have I," said Ootsuka.

"I have twice with the Chief," said Saitou. "It was like meeting a ghost. His haunting mask seemed to hover in air since he was dressed in all black.

"But never mind that. How about we get you signed to a computer and get you to work."

Marcile nodded and followed Saitou over to a desk. Things were going to get interesting for him.

---

Kirihara Misaki looked over at Commander Iasi with a stern face, as was he. He had been assigned to the Foreign Affairs two months after Hourai's arrest. He had seemed like a decent and honest man, but there was also a side to him that Misaki couldn't put her finger on. She didn't trust him full heartily, and she kept her guard up around him.

"You don't approve of my actions, do you, Section-Chief Kirihara," he said.

"No, sir," Misaki responded. "What if we had located QU025 and BK201 was there? Saitou, Kouno and I would have been in a dire situation. If you are worried about a leak here, you can have Kanami call me only, or you can immediately inform me. More to the point, sir, the Syndicate could have a spy at the Astronomy lab."

Iasi stared at her for a moment before saying, "I'll think about that. I wanted to ask you about Detective Fukazawa Marcile."

"In my opinion, he's too young to handle this type of situation."

"Really? Have you seen his scores yet?"

"Yes I have. Scores in a classroom and on a training field is one thing, when it comes to the real thing, it's a whole new league. He hasn't even shot at a live target yet."

"As I expected from you. However, we need to replace Matsumoto and he's the best candidate."

"If you hadn't forced him into retirement we wouldn't have to worry about that."

"He was the oldest out of you all, and even though he was still in good shape, when it came to chasing a Contractor he always lagged behind. My call on the matter is final. You're dismissed."

Misaki nodded and exited the conference room. She looked across the office and saw Marcile hard at work typing away on the computer. She was going to keep her eyes on him, and if he failed too many times, she would find a way to kick him off her team and get Matsumoto back.

----

Marcile surprisingly made it back to his place to hear a guitar blazing away on the bottom floor. Misuzu was sweeping in front of her door. She looked up from her work and waved at him. He returned it.

"Hey, Mars-san, did you get the job?" she asked.

"Yes I did," he replied.

"That's good. So what is it if you don't mind me asking?"

"A spot on the Foreign Affairs."

Misuzu's eyes lit up as her teeth grinded against each other and said, "The Foreign Affairs? Aren't you too young for that spot?"

"Yes, but the commander thinks I have what it takes."

"I wouldn't be concerned about what he says; it's that woman chief, Kirihara Misaki," she informed, as she waved the point of her broom back and forth. "I've had the pleasure of meeting her here five years ago, and I can tell you, she's a tough cookie."

"Here? Why?"

"It was about some foreign exchange student named Li Shening… Shenshuun… Oh, I could never remember his last name." Marcile narrowed his eyes; not surprised at her comment since she couldn't pronounce his name. "Anyway, she came by to talk to him after the Hell's Gate thing, but immigration had sent him back to China. Great kid. In fact, you're staying in the same room he had stayed at."

"Is that so?"

-----

Misaki drove home from a long day at work. She had looked over Marcile's work and was pleased at how well he could write, but that was only deskwork. He was lucky they hadn't gotten any calls concerning Contractors.

Her thoughts dwelled on Li. He was in Japan again, which she was happy about, but why had he returned? The last thing she had heard about him was that he was active in Shanghai, and that was six months ago. The last time he was active in Japan was out in Kyoto. Her team was called out to help with the Foreign Affairs there, but it did no good.

She had tried to think of calling him Hei, but he wasn't the man she had grown to like. For the past five years her heart ached whenever she heard anything about him. She hadn't seen him since when she had chased him by his old place.

She reached her apartment twenty minutes later. Misaki exited her car and entered the complex to walk over to the elevators, stepped onto one, and rode it up to her floor. Seconds later the doors slid open. Misaki headed over to her room, opened the door, and walked into it. She noticed her balcony window lay open with a man dressed in a black trench coat and white mask.

She dropped her keys and looked on flabbergasted.

"It's been a while, Kirihara-san," said Hei.


	2. Chapter 2

Past Disaster

Chapter two: Innocent

Past:

Hei sat in his and Bai's barracks sharpening his blades late at night with a lamp resting between his and his sister's bed. The barrack's was cramped with enough space for three people.

Bai slept quietly on her side, making Hei wonder how she could be tired after paying her price for using her power this afternoon. To him a Contractor's payment was more like a curse, but it fit them perfectly, except his sister.

He missed her smile and her cheerful mood. He wished there was a way he could rip the Contractor out of her so he could have his sister back. Even though she was an emotionless creature he still loved her.

His door opened in which Amber entered and sat on Hei's left. He didn't look at her as he filed his blades as sharp as a katana.

"Can't sleep?" she asked.

"No, I just wanted to make sure my gear is in order for our next mission," said Hei.

"The Grim Reaper trying to make sure his victim's lives come to a quick death."

Hei frowned, causing Amber to blink at him as she took in his feature.

"I was kidding, Hei," she said.

Hei hated when a Contractor would make small talk and try to crack a joke. It was as if he was watching the news and a reporter was giving a punch line to make his or her audience chuckle. To him it was annoying.

"How can you kid when you don't have emotions?" he challenged.

"Contractors have emotions; we just don't act on them."

Hei stopped sharpening his blade and narrowed his eyes at Amber, as he said, "It's still the same thing. You Contractors can't show your feelings towards someone. My sister may love or hate me, but how would I know since she doesn't act on it."

Her lips formed into a frown. He wondered if she was trying to illustrate hate or pity. It didn't matter to him. For all he cared she could force a smile on her face, but it wouldn't change his mind about Contractors. They were deceivers and deceivers were the type of people—or thing—that would stab you in the back.

"We can feel love, Hei," informed Amber. "And your sister has shown it to you. You just haven't looked closely enough. Goodnight, have pleasant dreams."

Amber stood and exited. She looked back at him, blew him a kiss as she winked, and closed the door. He snorted at her acting ability and drew his attention back to his blades.

Why did she even bother to have a conversation with him? It always ended the same way. He would cuss her out and she would play a hurtful little girl. He wished she would give it up.

An hour later, Hei lie on his bed and fell into a deep sleep. He began to dream about living together with Amber and his sister while making humorous jokes.

Unfortunately when he woke up the next day, he didn't remember any of it.

---

Present:

Misaki's heart was pounding heavily against her chest, as her breathing intensified. It had been years since the last time she had gazed at the mask. However, she wasn't trembling from its haunting image, but from the face she knew that lay behind it.

His hair had grown slightly and his body seemed a little more toned than it had been. She wondered what he looked like behind that mask. Had he received any scars, burns, or something worse?

Misaki gulp from her discomfort.

"Eh… why have you…? What is it…?" she began to blabber.

"I've come for your help," he said.

Misaki's uneasiness vanished as she glared at him peculiarly.

"My help?" she asked.

"I'm being framed for a murder that had happened yesterday," he informed. "I'm sure you heard a Contractor was active, right?"

"Yes. QU025, and from what I was told, so were you."

"I swear to you when I tell you I was there to meet my contact."

Misaki looked at him puzzled and said, "Contact?"

"The guy I was supposed to meet was killed by electricity. QU025 forced him to electrocute himself to make it look like I had done it. I got there too late."

"Who was this contact?"

"Shu Chang. He went by the code name, Hohng. He worked for the Syndicate. I met him in Shanghai a couple of years ago, and he promised to help me take down the Syndicate. He was transferred to Japan last year, but I stayed in China to continue pursuing leads there.

"I got a call from him last week saying he had some important news. He couldn't tell me over the phone so I had to work my way back into Japan."

"As who this time?" Misaki asked.

"It's not important," replied Hei, as he shook his head.

"So what did he want?"

"Not sure. All I know is he was going to tell me there is someone in your department that has vital connections to Contractors."

"Vital connections? Like what?"

"He would only tell me face to face."

"Why should I believe you? You think I haven't forgotten you're BK201. Contractors are liars and deceivers, or have you forgotten that? Have you forgotten you deceived me at who you were?"

"I haven't, and I'm sorry about all that."

Misaki stared at his mask for the longest time, wondering if she should believe him or not. She shrugged it off since she had forgiven him a long time ago, but she would never forget it.

"So what do you want from me?" she asked.

"You're connected to the Foreign Affairs," he said. "Help me find who this person is, what's his connection to Contractors, and why. I need you to pull out files concerning your whole unit."

"Why me?"

"You're the only one I can trust."

Misaki breathed in deeply and released it.

"I'll help you, on one condition," said Misaki. "I want the man behind the mask to ask me."

He didn't respond to her comment at first, but then he began to say, "I told you the one you call Li no longer exists."

"I'm not asking for Li to ask me, I'm asking the man behind the mask, whoever he is."

He stood in silence as he pondered on her words. After a minute's delay, he slowly raised his right hand to his mask and removed it. To her relief her worries dissipated from her thoughts. She quivered slightly from his beautiful midnight blue eyes, and his face still looked so handsome.

"Will you help me?" he asked.

"Yes, I will," she said.

He smiled. He placed on his mask and jumped over her balcony. Misaki walked up to it to look down, but she saw no signs of him. He hadn't lost his touch. She headed over to her couch and sat down on it.

Who was the person that was connected to the Foreign Affairs?

---

Marcile barely made it to the Foreign Affairs on time. He rampaged up to the fourth floor, sat at his desk, and began working on the stuff he was assigned yesterday. To his luck, Kirihara Misaki's eyes were glued on him again. He knew she didn't want him here, but he felt he had what it took to be a good detective for her unit.

He filtered through the gibberish crap he had read already and found where he had left off. The thing he was working on was one of the last things Matsumoto had been doing before he was let go. Marcile admitted his predecessor could write out a report. There were comments and words he didn't think of using.

Yuusuke Saitou walked up behind and bent over his shoulder while looking at the screen.

"You might want to leave a little bit earlier from now on," he whispered. "Chief doesn't like it when her colleagues cut it so close."

"I had five minutes to spare?" questioned Marcile, as he looked up from his work.

"Chief's watching. Keep your eyes on your work and make it look like I'm helping you out."

Marcile looked at him puzzled, but nodded and turned his attention back to the screen.

"Chief likes it when we're here ten minutes early or earlier," Saitou continued whispering.

"Why does it matter?" Marcile asked, as he typed.

"She's a tough cookie. You don't want to get on her bad side. It's too scary. Keep up the good work, Fukazawa."

Saitou walked back to his desk and began his work. Marcile took a chance and glanced over his shoulder to see Kirihara Misaki reading a report sent by someone. He wondered if he did the right thing coming here, knowing now he was going to have a boss that was tough as nails.

Phones began to ring off the hook with bogus Contractor spotting. People that didn't like their neighbors thought they could have them arrested, but they seemed to forget that Contractor's stars shined whenever they were active. A few were the real deal, but Kirihara Misaki ordered only for Detective Yuusuke Saitou and Yutaka Kouno to investigate.

They were gone for ninety minutes before they returned with a man in handcuffs. He squirmed in their grasp and demanded to be released.

"Don't use your power in front of someone," said Detective Yuusuke.

"It's not my fault I have to pee in public to fulfill my contract!" shouted the Contractor.

"It is when it's your own neighbor," stated Detective Yutaka.

Moments later, after securing their prisoner, they returned to their desk. Marcile finished looking through Matsumoto's report; pleased he didn't have to fix anything, and printed it out. He snatched it up and headed over to Kirihara Misaki's desk.

"Section-Chief Kirihara, here's the report you wanted me to look over," he said while holding out the paper with both hands.

Kirihara Misaki looked up from her work and stared at it. She then gazed up at him and said, "You could have E-mailed it to my computer, Fukazawa."

"Sorry, but I thought it more prudent this way."

Kirihara Misaki took in his feature for a few seconds, and then frowned while taking the paperwork. Saitou walked up behind him to stare down at her.

"Chief, we got a call from the local police of a dead victim in an alleyway where QU025 was active two days ago," he said. "They said the guy seemed to be executed by electricity." Kirihara's body tensed. "Kouno and I are ready to head over to the crime scene."

"No, you and Kouno stay here," ordered Kirihara. "I will go investigate the scene with Detective Fukazawa."

"With me, Section-Chief?" Marcile asked dumbstruck.

"Yes, unless you want to keep scrounging through other people's reports?"

"Eh no, Section-Chief."

Kirihara nodded as she stood. Marcile followed her onto the elevator and down to the garage. They walked along the vehicles until they came up to a blue Porsche. He marveled at it, remembering when he was a kid how he wished to sit in one.

"Don't drool too much," said Kirihara, as she unlocked the doors. "I just had it detailed."

"Of course not, Section-Chief," he replied.

"Call me Chief," she sighed. "Section-Chief is too formal, and it makes you look like a big time brown nosier."

"Yes, Sec—eh—Chief."

Kirihara opened her door and sat behind the wheel, as Marcile took the passenger side. She brought the engine to life, backed the car out of its parking spot, shifted it into first, and drove out of the garage.

As they drove through the city, Marcile stared out the window to gaze at the cluttered city that gave its peculiar image. The freeway seemed to hover between the buildings, as trains stormed on by in groves beside the roads or on metal tracks above. He was amazed at how many scooters there were zigzagging through confined traffic.

His body stiffened every time Kirihara made a turn onto the left side of the road, illustrating his American habits of driving on the _right _side of the road.

"You could have dealt with Contractors back in the States," spoke up Kirihara. "I heard they have a good program formed in New York City."

"They do, but Tokyo is where most of the action occurs," said Marcile. "Like when Evening Primrose attacked five years ago, and the whole thing about the Saturn System."

"You're not trying to write your name into history, are you, Detective Fukazawa?"

"No, Chief. That isn't my objective. If I wanted that, I would have tried to sign up for American Idol."

Kirihara smiled.

"What about you, Chief?" continued Marcile. "Before I left the States I got my hands on your file. It said you had turned down two promotions by Commander Kirihara Naoyasu."

"You've surely done your homework," she said.

"Sorry if I have overstepped my boundaries."

"It's all right. I don't mind too much, as long as I'm not being interrogated here."

"May I ask why?"

"I feel like I'm needed on the streets more. I couldn't handle being an advisor, and plus, it felt to me my father was trying to get me away from danger. We're here."

Kirihara drove up to a few police vehicles, pulled up her emergency brake, and shut her car off. They exited the vehicle and walked into the alley where the local police waited. A tall officer and a short officer walked up to her and bowed. She returned it.

"I'm Officer Wakashi, and this is my partner, Officer Takashi," said the tall officer.

"I'm Section-Chief Kirihara, and this is Detective Fukazawa. Where's the body?"

The two officers guided them into the back alley. A man in his late thirties was lying on his back with electrical burn marks around his waist with cigarette butts littering around his body. The smell lingering in the air told them he had been decaying for a couple of days. Maggots were creeping through his mouth and along his body.

"A bunch of school girls were taking a short cut and found him," said Wakashi.

"What, nobody smelled the decay?" Marcile asked, as he held up his sleeve to cover his nose.

"Maybe they thought it was from the trash?" Takashi joked.

"Pretty bad smell for only trash."

"We were going to call CSI to do an investigation, but we remembered your guys' call." said Wakashi. "To us though, it looks like a Contractor did this."

"Thanks for your devote of confidence, Officer Wakashi," said Kirihara. She looked over at Marcile. "Detective Fukazawa, tell me what you see."

"Eh?" he questioned, surprised she was asking him for his thoughts. "Well…?"

He stared down at the body. It would seem BK201 had wrapped his wire around the guy's body and electrocuted him with the burn marks. However, he noticed other things concerning the scene. He pulled out a balled-point pen and used it to twist the corpse's right hand to show burn marks. He looked around the area to see trash everywhere, recycling bins, and a power box. He stood to walk over to the power box and noticed burnt tissue on it.

"It looks to be a Contractor that could use electricity had killed him, but it also looks like suicide," began Marcile. "His hands have electrical burns on them, which states the entry point came from this power box.

"However, he was talking to someone since there are cigarette butts around him, and he doesn't have a pack of smokes on him."

"Could be from days ago before the killing," said Takashi.

"Not likely. The storm that doused Tokyo two days ago had happened minutes before the killing. If the cigarette butts were from before the downpour, then the rain would have washed away the ash on the victim and ground."

"Not bad!" said Wakashi. "I wouldn't let this kid get away from your platoon, Section Chief."

Kirihara smirked. She looked over at Marcile and said, "Anything else?"

"There's blood a little ways from the body," said Marcile, as he pointed at it. "Apparently our two mystery men had a little battle going on and someone got stabbed in the process."

"Two mystery men?" the officers questioned.

"Ah, I think the victim was talking with his killer, and when he got what he wanted, he killed him by making it look like someone had electrocuted him. The third person might have tried to save him by using some wire. Unfortunately he or she was too late."

"You're kidding!"

---

Misaki returned to her apartment a little after eleven. She was pleased that Marcile had stated the same thing that Hei had said to her earlier.

"Did you get the files?" Hei asked behind her.

"Can you at least knock?" she asked. She turned around to see he wasn't wearing his mask. "It's the least you can do."

"Did you get them?"

"I got a couple."

She held out two folders to him. He took them and looked at the names.

"Commander Iasi Obi, and Detective Marcile Fukazawa. Only these two?"

"I only had enough time to get those. You're lucky I got you Iasi's, and Fukazawa is a new recruit, so it was easy to get his."

"What about your other colleagues?"

"Oh no, they have nothing to do with the Syndicate. I would put my badge and gun on it."

"And what about your father?"

Misaki opened her mouth to protest about him, but she held her tongue. She wasn't too sure about his loyalty concerning how she looked upon Law Enforcement, but she also didn't want to admit he was doing any illegal actions.

Her head tilted forward as she gazed down at the floor, and said, "I'll—I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Kirihara-san," he said.

He began to walk towards her window. He stepped onto the windowsill, and as he was about to leap, Misaki shouted, "Wait!"

He looked back at her.

"I—I wanted to ask you by your old apartment five years ago," she said. "Did you choose the same thing as I had, about Contractors and humans living together?"

He smiled at her and said, "Yes."

He leaped out of her window. She didn't bother to look for him since she knew he had disappeared. Misaki instead entered her bedroom to get some sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Whole Nine Yards

Past:

Hei, Bai and Amber ran through the rain forest late at night. They had been successful at getting their hands on the meteor shard from Heaven's Gate from the Russians, but in doing so, they had a group of Contractors following them.

"We need to split up," said Amber.

"No, we stay together!" demanded Hei.

"Amber's right, Brother," replied Bai.

"No, we can't split up!"

"It's best this way," stated Amber. "Bai, head westward. There should be a swamp that way. I'll go eastward. Hei, keep going straight."

"What? Are you planning on using me as bait?"

Amber didn't reply, as she and Bai took off. Hei cursed and headed straight. He pictured his sister killing dozens of Contractors and humans, and then fulfilling her price while drowning. If that happened to her, he wouldn't let Amber hear the end of it.

Unexpectedly, the ground dropped underneath him. Hei fell and tumble rolled while turning around. He gazed upward to see an orange-haired man in a black jump suit with a thick gray stripe down the front. A black-haired man, wearing the same suit, stood next to him and turned blue while his eyes burned red. The ground below Hei's feet began to turn into quick sand. He whipped out his line, hooked it to a branch, and flew off to land on it.

The Contractor released his power, allowing the ground to turn solid, and stared upward to melt away the branch. Hei wrapped his wire around another branch, swung downwards while pulling out one of his blades, and threw it to impale it into the black-haired Contractor. The black-haired Contractor cringed in pain, and then spun around to tumble into the pit.

Hei plowed into the orange-haired Contractor and sent him into the pit. The orange-haired Contractor slammed onto his back, as Hei landed on his feet. The Contractor rolled on his back, and fell forward onto his feet to glare devilishly at Hei. He charged and swung his right fist to have Hei duck and punch the Contractor's kidney, causing him to flinch, and allowing Hei to give him a left jab. The Contractor went to kick Hei, but Hei blocked it with his leg, causing the Contractor to kick again, which Hei stopped it as well.

Hei threw a right hook, spinning the Contractor one hundred-eighty degrees, and then grabbed him around the neck. The Contractor struggled with Hei's grip, but Hei was stronger and snapped his vertebra. The Contractor stumbled backwards for a second before dropping dead next to his partner.

Hei, exhausted from the duels, crawled out of the pit, and stood before it while breathing heavily.

The sky seemed to give off a red glow, as if to indicate the night had been stained with so much blood while birds chirped in the distance.

Hei couldn't believe he had defeated two Contractors. It seemed like he had crawled out of hell itself.

Suddenly something caught his attention in the trees' shadows. A silver and spiky-haired man, dressed in a black jump suit and wearing red goggles, walked up to the edge of a slumped hill. He highlighted in blue, as the lens on his goggles brightened in color, and pointed his right index finger to shoot a ball-like wave.

Hei rolled under it and into the pit. He stared up to see the Contractor running up to the pit. The Contractor smirked while pointing his finger at Hei, which forced Hei to whip out his line to lasso it around a branch above the Contractor, and soared off to miss another wave. He looked down from the tree, noticing the goggle Contractor was smiling at the dust cloud, probably thinking he had killed his prey.

Unfortunately, the Contractor had become the prey.

Hei wrapped his wire around the Contractor's neck, surprising him, and tugged it. The Contractor grabbed at the wire and struggled with it while trying to breathe. He gazed up at Hei, and then he began to aim his hand upward. Hei trembled with fear, knowing he was a sitting duck, which gave him one option.

He took a firm grip on his wire and leaped from the branch to string up the Contractor. The Contractor started gasping for air as Hei's breathing intensified from it. He closed his eyes, cringing from the thought that was about to come, and tugged on his wire to finish off the Contractor. Unfortunately, it wasn't quick enough for him since he twitched slightly before he died.

He released his hold on the Contractor, making his lifelessly body plump onto the ground.

Hei began to run through the forest heading west, not wanting to be apart from his sister any longer.

"Bai!" he shouted. "Bai, are you alright? Bai!"

He came up to the swamp where his sister stood in the mist of it with bodies laying dead. He stopped at the edge to see his sister watching the stars fall one-by-one. She turned around and stared at him.

"Brother," she muttered.

Hei stared at her for a second, and then walked into the swamp. Her eyes rolled up, as her body seemed too heavy for her legs to support her. He ran and caught her to cradle her in his arms while kneeling. His stomach turned over from the uneasiness he had for his sister's safety.

She tiredly looked up at him.

"The stars are falling," she said. "So many today…"

Her eyes, feeling heavy to her, slowly closed, and her head slumped against Hei's chest.

Hei, no longer paying attention to the shooting stars, stared down at his sister. It tormented his heart to see her like this. Emotionless. Showing no signs of remorse or regret for what she had done unlike him. He couldn't sleep at night without his victims popping up in his head to haunt him. Hei may have been known as the Black Reaper, but he felt more like the Cowardly Lion when in comparison to his sister and Amber.

He couldn't take seeing Bai like this anymore. His sweet little sister he had spent time with at the lake by their home no longer existed. All that remained was a shell. He knew what he had to do to end her emotionless suffering.

Hei placed his hand around her neck. He didn't want to kill her, but it was better this way, and while she was asleep, she shouldn't feel a thing.

"Hei," called out Amber. He looked over his shoulder at her to see she was smiling. "It's over. Let's go."

Her smile faded as she realized what he was intending to do. He gazed at her, showing the bitterness and disgust he had for Contractors. They said nothing, as they stared at each other without blinking.

Unexpectedly a tear escaped his right eye.

He stood and walked off while holding Bai in his arms. Hei came to an opening in the forest on a hill where a tree was torn from its stump. He sat against it and stared down at Bai. She looked so peaceful, which made her seem like an angelic child. He looked up at the fake stars to see they had stopped falling. The air didn't smell of blood, and the sky had turned to a dark blue color.

How he wished he could travel back in time before the gates appeared and stargaze with Bai one more time. He had tried so hard to stare at the fake ones, but whenever he would focus on one, it would be gone the next week or the following day. It would be surprising if they could last a month.

No doubt the one he had been looking at might not exist tomorrow. However, his sister's star still hovered above, but for how long? How long would he permit it to last?

"She's still making her payment," said Amber, as she walked up to them.

Hei ignored her as he kept his eyes glued to the sky since she was trying to make small talk.

"You're always together," she continued. "You're like lovers."

Her last choice of words sounded as though she were jealous of Bai. Amber looked up at the stars.

"Stargazing again?" she asked.

"I only watch them for lack of anything better to do," he said.

"No matter how long you stare," she began to walk off, "the old stars are gone for good."

Hei kept his gaze on the fake stars for a few seconds, and then stared down at Bai. Her right hand was before her lips giving her the image she had been sucking it like a one-year-old.

----

Present:

Misaki sat at her desk looking over the report Marcile had written out earlier concerning Shu Chang. They had identified him by his criminal record, making her relax since she didn't have to worry about accidently saying his name.

She was impressed with his choice of words to describe things, which would have had Saitou scrambling for a dictionary to translate it. However, if she wanted to read a novelty that had a thousand-pages she would have headed over to the closest bookstore or library.

After reading one thousand words—and only making it a quarter of the way through his report—she looked over at her new recruit and shouted, "Detective Fukazawa!"

He stopped typing, spun around in his chair, and blinked at her baffled.

"Do me a favor," she continued. "The next time you write out a report, shorten it to only a quarter of what you had written out."

"Yes, my apologizes, Chief," he said.

"Your apology will be accepted once you rewrite this report, because I don't think Commander Iasi will be pleased to read this since I'm not. In no way are the Foreign Affairs a publishing faculty."

"Yes, Chief."

Marcile turned back to his computer and began editing his report.

Misaki read Kouno, Saitou and Ootsuka's report. She finished and e-mailed them to Iasi a half an hour later before Marcile resent his report, which was five pages longer than Kouno's. She sighed and scanned through it, skipping parts she had already read. At least his choice of words weren't from some science book.

It took her only a half an hour to finish it and sent it to Iasi's computer.

The phone on her desk rang. She picked it up and said, "This is Kirihara."

"_Misaki, it's Kanami_. _DL016 is active in a building across from Tokyo Tower."_

"DL016? I never heard of him before. What's his ability?"

"_From the reports he can shoot a beam from only his right index finger."_

"All right, thank you, Kanami." Misaki hung up the phone and looked at her unit. "Kouno, Saitou, get your stuff in order. Ootsuka, get over to the Astronomy lab and get what you can on DL016 from Kanami. Marcile, you're with me."

"Yes, Chief," said Marcile.

The Foreign Affair scrambled for their stuff, entered the elevator, and descended to the garage. They exited it moments later and hurried over to the vehicles. Marcile sat in the passenger seat, as Misaki settled behind her steering wheel. She started up her car, backed up, and peeled off with Saitou following.

Misaki switched on her siren and blazed through the city, as other vehicles pulled over. Marcile braced his body from the power and torque made by the Porsche. He sneaked a peek behind him to see she had lost Saitou and Kouno.

"Don't worry about them, they'll catch up," said Misaki.

They arrived at their destination fifteen minutes later and exited the vehicle. Within minutes, Saitou and Kouno arrived. They stepped from the beat-up brown car and ran over to Misaki and Marcile.

"I lead," began Misaki. "Saitou, you're behind me with Kouno following. Marcile, stay here."

"What? But I can be of help!" protested Marcile. "Don't leave me behind because I'm a rookie!"

"I'm not. It's just incase the Contractor escapes the building."

Marcile pursed his lips at the ridiculous reason, but he let it go and nodded. Misaki pulled out her gun and motioned her head for her colleagues to follow. They nodded while upholstering their guns, and ran into the building, leaving Marcile behind. He leaned up against Saitou's car while elbowing the door.

This was his chance at proving his potential, but his _boss _kicked him to the curve. Didn't he show her his intelligence at the crime scene yesterday? Wasn't that enough to tell her he was capable for this type of work? Maybe she thought it was nothing compared to capturing a Contractor, but how was he supposed to learn on the sidelines? He began to think that coming to Japan was a terrible mistake.

Suddenly a beam shot out a glass window on the third floor. Marcile bent over while raising his right arm over his head, as sharp glass pummeled the ground, the vehicles, and him. Small pieces ended up embedding in his hands. After the deadly rain shower ended, he stood while pulling out glass, and looked up. Unfortunately, he didn't see anything else wrong.

However, he took a hold of his gun, ready to storm in, but he stopped as a blond-haired foreign man ran out of the building. Marcile pointed his gun at him while shouting, "Stop, police!"

The man stopped and stared at Marcile. The man frowned and pointed his index finger at Marcile, as he highlighted in blue. Marcile, realizing he was facing a Contractor, froze in fear as his body tensed.

Unexpectedly someone jumped and pushed him out of the way, as the Contractor shot his laser beam. The Contractor snorted and hopped into a blue Nissan to drive off. Marcile looked at his savor to see it was Misaki. She stood while helping him up.

"You hesitated, didn't you?" she yelled. "That's why I didn't want you with us! Get your head in the game!"

"So—sorry," replied Marcile.

"Don't be sorry! Now get into my… ouch!" Misaki dropped to her knees. "Damn it! Can you drive a stick?"

"Yes, but what about Saitou and Kouno?"

"They're busy. Get in my car so we can follow the Contractor."

"How, he's probably long gone."

"Don't worry. Get in now!"

Marcile nodded as he entered the driver's side while Misaki sat in the passenger seat. He revved up the engine and peeled off. He shifted into second gear as they drove down a hill, and then he slammed the stick into third.

Misaki stared down at her CB radio and said, "Kanami, its Misaki. I need you to look for a blue Nissan around Tokyo Tower heading west."

"_All right, one second,_" said Kanami.

Silence filled the car's cockpit. Marcile figured the lab was going to have their Dolls track down the Contractor.

"_Got him. I'm also tracking you guys. You want to make a right at the next light_," instructed Kanami. Marcile did what was ordered. "_Keep going straight until I say so." _

Marcile's grip on the steering wheel tightened, as he began to sweat while keeping the pedal to the metal unless he needed to shift gears. He had thought his training would have made him prepared for this moment, but he had been wrong. He reminded to kick himself in the rear for his mistakes, and prayed Misaki wouldn't kick him off the force.

"_Left, turn left_!" shouted Kanami.

Marcile did so; lining up on the right side of the road with a truck heading towards them.

"Wrong side!" shouted Misaki, as her body stiffened against her seat.

Marcile whipped the steering wheel left, barely missing the truck, and had to zip back to miss a scooter. Unfortunately, the man on the scooter turned right to plow into the railing, being thrown from his ride, and onto the other lane. A car screeched to halt centimeters from him, but it ended up being run into from behind.

Marcile zigzagged through the rest of the traffic without incident and shot over to the left side of the road.

"Oops," said Marcile in English while shaking off his uneasiness.

"Oops?" questioned Misaki, as her right eyelid rose. "Oops? Do me a favor, don't get a license here."

"Kay."

Marcile continued driving through the cluttered traffic, as motorist tried to get out of the path. Marcile ended up being stuck behind someone on the phone, making Misaki frown.

"Push him out of the way," she said.

"What? What about your car?" Marcile asked.

"I have good insurance coverage. Just do it."

Marcile sighed while shrugging, and put the bumper to the car in front of him. The man behind the wheel freaked out, causing him to drop his phone in the process, as he tried to take control of his car. To his luck, he slammed into the railing. Marcile looked into the rearview mirror to see the guy exit his car and scream.

"_Make a right,_" said Kanami.

"And stay on the left side this time," ordered Misaki.

Marcile nodded and did what both women asked. Misaki eased slightly in her seat. Marcile shook his head at her, but then pushed it aside as he saw the Contractor ahead of them.

"That's him," said Marcile, as he pointed at the Nissan.

Misaki rolled down her window to pop a portion of her body out of it and to have her hair whip in the breeze. She took careful aim at the Nissan's tires, and shot it. The car swerved to compensate the loss of traction, but it couldn't and rammed into another car's side. The other car spun a few times until it stopped, as the Nissan whipped around one hundred and eighty degrees before coming to a halt. Vehicles behind the accident, as well as Marcile, slammed on their brakes to miss it.

After the Porsche came to a halt, he looked over at Misaki and said, "Wasn't that a little reckless?"

Misaki shrugged and exited her car. Macrile followed while pulling out his gun, and walked up to the Nissan.

"Slowly get out of the car and put your hands up!" she shouted.

The Contractor disobeyed while jumping out of his car to shoot a beam at Misaki, forcing her to leap out of its path. She started to stand, but dropped from her ankle. The Contractor smiled and aimed at Marcile.

His body tensed, as everything seemed to unravel in slow motion. The Contractor's eyes burned red while his body outlined in blue. Sweat poured down his face fearing his life was ending.

"Shoot!" shouted Misaki.

Marcile awoke from his paralyzed state and fired. The Contractor was struck in the chest, making him look on shocked. Marcile fired another, and then a third. The Contractor stumbled and fell backwards dead.

A star fell from the sky.

Misaki carefully stood while frowning at him, but then smiled.

"Welcome to the Foreign Affairs, Detective Fukazawa," she said. "Just next time, try to not kill him."

---

Misaki and Marcile stood near the crime scene as CSI scanned it. CSI wanted to question them, but Misaki stated to let the evidence prove the case, and had their guns confiscated so they could be processed.

"Are we done?" Misaki asked. "We need to get back to where my colleagues are."

"Yes," said the CSI agent.

Misaki nodded, and reached out her hands at Marcile for her keys.

"Is your ankle better?" he asked.

"No, but I trust it more than your driving," she stated.

Marcile frowned and handed over the keys. They entered the Porsche to head towards Tokyo Tower.

Moments later they returned to the scene of the crime. Misaki and Marcile exited the vehicle to head up the confined stairs to the third floor, and entered a dank and cluttered room. Two chairs mirrored each other in front of a square wooden table with cards on top. Saitou and Kouno stood nearby with a man tide up in a chair.

"Everything all right, Chief?" Saitou asked.

"Yes, CSI and the local PD have the other scene under control," said Misaki. "What do we have here?"

"Jean Gerard from France. He's human and he doesn't speak a word of Japanese, or at least we think."

Jean muttered a few words and spit on the floor.

"He said, 'kiss my rear and go to hell,'" said Marcile.

"You speak French?" Saitou asked astounded.

"No. I had hit on a girl at an amusement park in Ohio, and well, she had said those words and ran off. I got home two days later and asked someone what it meant online."

Saitou and Kouno laughed at him, as Misaki frowned. They stopped and looked away while sweating.

Misaki glance over at Marcile and said, "Try asking if he speaks English."

Marcile nodded and asked the question, but Jean didn't reply.

"Oh, come on," continued Marcile in English, "not a word? So you don't mind if I call you a moron or buffoon for being left behind by a Contractor?"

Jean's jaw line tightened, which Marcile believed he understood, but it still wasn't enough.

"I give up," said Marcile while raising his hands, and then dropping them. "Oh by the way, you're zipper is down." Jean looked down at his pants. "Ah, so you do understand."

Jean stared up at him angrily.

"What you want, copper?" Jean asked in a French accent.

"Why are you here in Japan?" Marcile asked. "Who sent you?"

"Vacationing with friend and my wife sent me."

"Wife? I don't see any ring on your finger, and if I recall tourists don't sit in their hotels playing poker."

"We playing poker 'cause Contractor has to play and lose to fulfill his price."

"Ah, see now we are getting somewhere. He had shot his beam at something prior to this case, right. What was it or who?"

"The wall."

"Funny, I don't see any holes. So try again."

"Sorry. I say nothing else."

Marcile bit his lip in frustration, looked back at Misaki, and translated the whole discussion.

"We take him back and hold him for forty-eight hours," said Misaki. "After that, we have to let him go."

---

Later on that night, after getting nowhere with Jean back at the Foreign Affairs, Saitou and Kouno treated Marcile to eat at a ramen stand. To their amazement, and the chefs, Marcile ordered ten bowls.

"Oi, I said I'd treat you, but I didn't think you had an appetite like someone I had met years ago," said Saitou.

"I'll say, my mom thought I was going to eat her out of a home," said Marcile and chew down his meal.

"You'll get fat, you know," said Kouno.

Kouno must have lost his appetite since he didn't touch his food, but he instead rested his head on his palm to watch.

"My dad used to say that a lot," smiled Marcile. "You'd think I'd be sick of it, but far from it."

"You know," began Saitou while snatching up some noodles, "If my friend ever comes back from China, I'd pay to see you two have an eating contest to see who eats the most."

"Is that so?"

----

Misaki entered her apartment to see that Hei, in his black clothes, had made himself at home sitting on her couch. He was watching the late news while holding a remote.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up," he said, not looking at her.

"I'm sorry, honey, I knew I should have called," mocked Misaki, causing Hei to frown. "Comfy on my couch?"

"Ah." He nodded.

"Good to hear, now get off it."

Hei's eyes rolled and stood to look back at her. He was holding the files she had given him yesterday.

"There was nothing important about Marcile," he said, as he dropped the folders on the coffee table. "Just some kid that was born near Chicago and a grade A student."

"I could have told you that," barked Misaki.

Hei frowned at her statement, but he shook it off, and said, "Your Commander looks clean too. Now, how about your partners?"

"Saitou, Kouno and Ootsuka are fine," stated Misaki, as she crossed her arms to end the discussion.

"Fair enough."

"Why do you need their files anyway? They only contain pictures, birthdates, training and work background information. If you're looking for criminal activity, you won't find it."

"To check suspicious movements."

"From a file? How can a file tell you about someone's movement?"

"It's nothing you have to worry about. What about QU025?"

"Don't change the subject and answer my question."

Hei stared at her for a few seconds, as he thought of something.

"By profiling it."

Misaki's right eyelid rose at his comment. Profiling? To her it sounded like a ludicrous and barbaric answer so he could avoid telling her the truth. Why wouldn't he tell her what was going on?

"I answered your question, how about mine concerning QU025," he said.

"All we know is that he's a rogue," she said. "We don't think any organizations picked him up yet. Perhaps the Syndicate hired him to frame you."

"Maybe. What about DL016?"

Misaki narrowed her eyes and said, "How'd you know about that?"

"I have a Doll in my possession. I had asked her to watch the Foreign Affairs."

"You've been spying on me?"

"On the Foreign Affairs."

Misaki frowned at him to show her displeasure for his actions.

"Have you been able to get your father's folder?" he asked.

"No, that'll take some time."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Not here! Somewhere else, like a park or a… restaurant."

Hei looked at her for a few seconds before saying, "The Meji Shrine in Harajuku at eight. A restaurant is too dangerous for us to be seen together."

Misaki's heart sank in disappointment. She was hoping to turn back the clock and sit down with the man she knew that had an appetite for food like her, and perhaps see that innocent face he use to have as Li.

She nodded to the rendezvous. Hei turned and headed towards her balcony. He stopped and looked over his shoulder.

"Make sure to soak your ankle in ice," he said, and then jumped out of the window.

Misaki shook her head, wondering if he was her guarding angel, or a peeping Tom.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Yin's Trickery

Past

Amber cautiously led Hei and Bai through the rainforest on a night patrol. The air felt too humid for the night air, which made the trio sweat heavily. Frogs, crickets and other wild beings hummed to the fake stars shining above.

Hei didn't like creatures babbling to each other. It made it hard to hear commotions or noises caused by the enemy. His eyes trailed over to a thick bush where someone could hide in, and gazed up into the trees for an aerial attack. Even though he saw nothing, his body was tense from an unsettled feeling.

Amber cut at a huge leaf with a machete and stepped on it to flatten it on the muddy ground. Bai occasionally glanced side-to-side, but her attention was mostly at Amber's back.

The time on Hei's watch read quarter pass one, indicating they had been away from base over five hours, and they had less than three hours remaining until they could return to camp.

Hei hated night patrols, but the Syndicate thought it fit him due to his nickname.

A ruffle sound from a bush to his left caused Hei to pull out his knife by the blade and whipped it towards the noise. A man bellowed in pain, as the bush quaked for a second, and then silence. Amber and Bai stopped while looking at the incident, as Hei listened and glanced around for any other movement. No doubt the man wasn't alone.

A pair of red eyes glowed in the distance, as a haunting blue line formed a female feature. A tree came to life, its leaves swishing about, and then swung one of its branches at Bai. Hei jumped at her to push her to safety, but he was struck by the impact. He grabbed a hold of it so not to fly off to snap his back, and hooked his cable line on it to swing downwards.

Amber ran over to him, and asked, "You all right, Hei?"

"I'm fine," he replied.

The tree's roots ripped from the ground, sending mud and grass everywhere while shaking the ground, and then started to walk towards them. It swung its branch at Hei and Amber, forcing them to roll out of the way, and having it slam and break its branch against another tree's trunk to crash onto the ground.

The moving tree swung its other branch at them in which they jumped out of the way. The tree raised its branch in the air and brought it crashing downwards. Hei and Amber leaped away from each other, as the tree's branch crashed and crumbled the ground while leaves fluttered off it. It dragged its branch along the mud-infested terrain to knock into Amber and send her to slam against a nearby tree. She fell forward and lay motionlessly on her stomach.

"Amber!" shouted Hei, but she didn't respond. "Amber!"

Hei ran out of the way of the tree's next attack, flung out his line to wrap it around another branch, and soared upwards to avoid a horizontal strike. The tree bashed Hei's wire to snap it and have him tumble over-end. He whipped his wire to lasso it around the moving tree's branch and land safely on the ground before it. He released his wire and glared at it.

Suddenly an electrical shock engulfed it. Hei looked behind the tree to see Bai had snuck up to electrocute it. Unfortunately it did no good. The moving tree slapped at Bai, as if she was a mosquito trying to suck its blood, and made her tumble roll towards Hei.

"Bai!" shouted Hei concerned.

Bai regained her bearings, skidded to a halt next to Hei, and said, "I'm fine, Brother."

"We need to take out the puppet master."

She nodded. They looked beyond the moving tree to see the female Contractor still in the same spot once the battle had started. Hei wrapped his left arm around Bai's waist, whipped out his wire to hook it to a branch, and they flew over the tree's next attack.

They soared a few yards before landing on a branch near the female Contractor. Hei released his wire and flung it at her. She placed her arm in its path so it wrapped around her neck and wrist. Hei cursed at her defensive move.

Suddenly the moving tree struck the tree Hei and Bai stood on. Hei lost his grip on the wire, as he and his sister were knocked from the branch. Hei slammed on his back while Bai plopped and rolled to a stop on her stomach. The moving tree stabbed its branch down to embed it into the ground and pin Hei.

The female Contractor, still glowing blue, walked out of the shadows, and headed over to Hei while she loosened his wire. She was tall, muscular toned, had short red hair, and wore a green jump suit with black v-shaped stripes running down her sides. She twiddled with the wire, as she kneeled next to him.

"It looks like the end of the line for the Black Reaper," she said in English with a German accent.

She held out a foot length of wire in her hands before Hei's neck, indicating she was going to strangle him. She smiled with glee. Suddenly she was electrocuted, causing her to shake frantically, and stare on horrified. Hei looked on flabbergasted.

The electrical shock stopped, allowing the female Contractor to drop onto her side dead and gaze at Hei with a perplexed expression. The tree's branch that was pinning him snapped from its weight, and the tree grumbled sideways to release him.

Hei gazed over at his sister laying and staring at him while holding his wire.

"Bai?" he questioned.

She smirked at him before resting her head on the ground to pay her price. Hei stood, ran over to his sister, and cradled her in his arms. He breathed out a sign of relief for her safety.

Suddenly, he remembered Amber.

He hurried over to her while carrying Bai to see Amber was still unconscious. He carefully rested his sister against a tree, and then kneeled next to Amber. He shook her, hoping that she was still alive, and said, "Amber, wake up. Are you all right? Amber!"

Amber's eyelids clenched from the sudden pain she felt as she came to. She slowly blinked them open to look at Hei. Hei huffed out his worries and smiled at her.

"Wha—what happened?" she asked.

"Bai and I took care of the Contractor," he said. "Can you stand?"

"I think so."

Amber stood to her feet using Hei as support. She flinched from a sudden pinch in her side, causing Hei to cradle her. Their eyes met, giving Hei a queasy feeling, and sending chills down his spine. He never realized how marvelous and beautiful her eyes were. They looked as ripe as an orange ready to be picked off a tree. Her body felt soft against his body, and her hair that was tickling his neck smelled of apples.

Hei's heart pounded harshly, as though he had run two marathons in one day, while his lips lingered to know the aroma of her lips. If he were to guess they tasted of cherries or strawberries.

"Hei, you all right?" Amber asked.

Hei shook away his thoughts and said, "Ah, yeah."

Hei helped her stand and slowly stepped away from her, as Amber balanced herself, and then smiled at Hei.

"Shall we head back to camp?" she asked while tilting her head in the direction of the camp.

Hei picked up Bai in his arms, looked over at Amber, and said, "Yes."

---

Later on that night, as dawn approached, Hei lay on his bed next to Bai. His thoughts had dwelled on Amber during the rest of the night, which it had kept him up. He didn't understand why he was having these feelings towards her. She was a Contractor and he a human. There was no way they could be together, it was forbidden. Not by law, but by nature; at least in his mind.

Contractors were deceivers, and all they would do was lie to their spouse, if they would ever have one.

Hei rolled onto his side and looked at his sister. It was unbelievable at how they had worked together out in the woods, and how she had saved him.

Maybe there was a chance that humans and Contractors could live with each other.

He pushed the thought to the back of his brain, believing it was nonsense, and rolled onto his other side. Hei forced his body to relax and his eyes to close so he could get some rest.

----

Present:

Kirihara Misaki entered the Foreign Affairs, walked over to her desk, and sat down to begin writing out her report. The thought of Hei sitting on her couch irritated her slightly. She didn't like the way he was acting around her. Was that how he really was and Li was in fact merrily an act, especially his desire for food? Had he appeared to have an appetite as an image for Li, and then when he was in the privacy of his room, he threw up his food? Was he right when he had said Li no longer existed, and he was proving it to her by refusing to meet her at a restaurant?

She wanted the man she had developed feelings for to resurface.

Unfortunately that won't happen any time soon. Misaki figured she had to bide her time and be patient. However, she wanted to know how long. Would it be a day, weeks, months, or years until he removed the mask that was hiding his soul?

"Section-Chief Kirihara, I want a word with you," ordered Iasi from his office door.

Misaki narrowed her eyes, wondering what the deal was, and stood to enter Commander Iasi's office. She closed the door behind her and walked up to his desk, as he sat behind it. He looked up at her with a displeased expression.

"What is it, sir?" she asked.

"You tell me," he said. "I got a call from the local PD, and you wanna know what they had told me? They told me a Porsche with your license plate number was driving on the wrong side of the road."

"Ah, sorry about that, sir. I had to let Detective Fukazawa drive my car since I had sprained my ankle."

Iasi's eyes slanted and said, "You let an inexperienced kid drive on International roads before taking a Drivers test! What were you thinking?"

"Of capturing the criminal, sir."

Iasi breathed out heavily, stood from his desk, rounded it to walk over to the door, and opened it to look over at Marcile typing on his computer.

"Detective Marcile, get your foreign butt in here, now!" shouted Iasi.

Marcile nervously jumped out of his seat and hurried into the commander's office. Iasi slammed the door shut behind him. Marcile gulped, as he began to sweat, and stood at attention as if he were in Boot camp.

"What in hell were you thinking of driving Section-Chief's car?" Iasi asked, trying to hold back his anger. Unfortunately, he wasn't doing so well since his face was turning blood red.

"Sir, the Chief…" began Marcile.

"I don't care about Kirihara's ankle!" shouted Iasi. "I'm going to have a lot of big shots breathing down my neck later on today. I have to give a good reason why her car was on the right side instead of the left. It would be a mistake if I said you were driving."

He turned to look at Misaki again and said, "So again, Section-Chief, why were you on the wrong side?"

"Eh, my hands slipped, sir," said Misaki.

"Is that so? Keep a good grip on it next time. You're also to pay a ticket for reckless endangerment. Hope and pray the scooter guy or the man you put a bumper to don't sue us." He turned to face Marcile. "And as for you. Your request for an International Driver's permit has been denied for another month."

"What? But why?" Marcile protested.

"From some evidence I have gathered that states you're not ready. Oh, and one more thing, no talking about this road problem with anybody else. It stays in this office. Understood!"

"Yes, sir," said Misaki and Marcile.

"Good. Dismissed."

Misaki and Marcile exited the office and headed over to their desk. She sat down to continue her work, as Saitou walked over to her.

"Oi, Chief, what was that about?" he asked.

"My little incident on the road yesterday," she said.

Saitou looked over at Marcile sitting at his desk to see him stuffing a bean bun down his throat. Suddenly his eyes bulged, as part of the bun was lodged in his throat, causing him to slam on his chest to retract it. He breathed out heavily, and shoved another bean bun in his mouth.

"Oh, Chief," began Saitou, as he remembered something, "you're not going to believe this, but Marcile has an appetite like Li."

Misaki blinked and looked over at Saitou. He told her about him and Kouno taking Marcile out to eat.

"Isn't that weird?" Saitou asked. "You'd think they were brothers or something since they don't show their appetite."

He chuckled, causing Misaki to frown at him.

"Saitou, you forget my desires for greasy food?" she stated. "I'm sure there are a handful of people like that."

"Eh, right, Chief," nodded Saitou, feeling dense from his comment.

He sat down at his desk to work on his reports. Misaki's eyes trailed over to Marcile and pondered on what Saitou had mentioned. One would think they might be related, but it was a trivial thought since he was born in Chicago like his Birth certificate says.

A man in a suit walked up to her.

"Section-Chief Kirihara Misaki?" he asked with a French accent.

"Yes," she said.

He pulled out a badge to show her. She gazed at it to see he was from France and his name was Special Agent Jules Folquet.

"I'm here to pick up a Jean Gerard," he said.

"I'm sorry, but he is being detained at the moment."

"I'm not asking for him to be released, I'm telling you to release him."

"I beg your pardon, but he was involved with a situation yesterday here in Tokyo, and we want to know why."

"Section-Chief Kirihara, let the agent have him," said Iasi from his office door.

Misaki looked over at her commander while she stood.

"What? But, sir?" she said hysterically.

"Don't argue. I got a call from the Higher ups to let him go. Apparently he has Diplimatic Immunity."

"What? I didn't see that in his record. Obviously they had slapped that on sometime last night."

"I said not to argue, just do as I say."

Misaki frowned, as the agent smiled. She looked over at Saitou and said, "Saitou, take Agent Folquet down to Jean so he can take him into custody.

"Yes, Chief," said Saitou, as he stood.

He gestured for Folquet to follow him. Misaki narrowed her eyes at the departing agent, wondering what was really going on.

---

Hei and Yin took refuge in a small apartment in Shimo. The place was dirt-cheap due to the economy crises that had developed over the years. They made due with the room on the third floor in the mist of the building.

The room was cramped, and the drywall was torn from the walls to have insulation hanging from it. The floor was cracked, as well as the ceiling, and it used to have mold growing everywhere until it was cleaned up. A depleted table stood in front of an analogue television that was presenting the morning news.

Yin and Hei kneeled in front of the table eating their breakfast. Hei was downing his forth rice bowl, as Yin finished her first bowl.

She let her long hair hang loose, combed it straight, and fixed the front so she could form bangs. Hei had made her dye it dark brown to keep the Syndicate from recognizing her. She wore a pink t-shirt and a dark purple skirt that came down to her knees. Her feminine features had grown through out the years, giving her a more delegate beauty. Hei had to give a few horny teenage boys a dirty look since they couldn't peel their eyes from her.

Hei wore a blue coat, blue jeans, and a button-up white shirt with the top two loosened.

During their time back, and after Hei's first meeting with Misaki, he had shown Yin pictures of Marcile and Iasi from the files, and asked her to follow them. The reason why he wanted the files was to see if they could see her spectre to determine if they were Contractors. He also wanted to know if perhaps they were double agents or something else.

He didn't expect to hear from Yin that Detective Marcile Fukazawa was living at his old place. If Hei needed to interrogate the new recruit, he would have no problem sneaking in the room.

Yin placed her feet in a bowl next to her and began watching the Foreign Affairs as she always did every morning. He had marveled at how strong she had gotten through the years. Almost two months after Hell's Gate, Yin began to form her spectre into a full size body image of her.

"Ah," she said, as she found something interesting.

Hei stopped eating and looked over at her.

"What is it, Yin?" he asked.

"An agent from France came for Jean," said Yin. "He has Diplomatic Immunity."

Hei snorted. It seemed to him that the Syndicate was throwing in their trump cards again. Jean must know something, and the big shots don't want the Foreign Affairs to stumble on it.

"Follow them, Yin," he instructed.

She nodded as he returned to his meal. If the Foreign Affairs failed to get anything out of Jean, it meant it was his turn to torture out the information. Apart of him had hated doing such a ruthless act, which made him remember Misaki begging him to spare Hourai's life.

How one woman could see the darkest side of him and help him tame the animal inside him.

---

Jean and Jules entered a black Toyota and headed off. Jean stayed quiet and kept his gaze away from Jules. He could tell they weren't pleased at his performance that had landed him in the hands of the Foreign Affairs.

"I swear, I didn't tell them anything," said Jean nervously in his native tongue.

"I'm not the one you have to convince," replied Jules in French. "It's Burke Portsmouth you have to convince."

"Bu—Burke? He's here? Why would our government want to send him since he's MI-6?"

"It wasn't our government that ordered him here."

"Eh? Then who?"

"I don't know. I was told I didn't have to know, and neither do you."

Jean gulped, figuring he wasn't going to live through Burke's interrogation if he gave an answer he didn't like. Even though he had never met the guy, he knew his reputation.

They pulled up to a shipping yard gate. The driver showed paperwork to the security guard. The guard looked at it for a second, and then handed it back while ushering them through. They drove in, passed a dozen crates, and turned left to stop in front of a loading building. They exited the vehicle and entered the building to see it was empty; except for a bald and graying old man standing next to a guy the size of André the Giant.

"You killed him?" the balding man asked in an English accent.

Jean tensed, knowing the old man was Burke.

"No, he got away," said Jean in English, as he swallowed some of his uneasiness. "It wasn't my fault he got away either."

"QU025 has important information our government wants, and you let him slip through your fingers!"

"If I wasn't teamed up with a heartless beast, I would have gotten whomever we are working for what they wanted. Why would they care anyways?"

"We don't ask; we just do our jobs. They have been looking for him for ten years. He's wanted as much as February had been. In fact, he had worked with her up until the Hell's Gate attack."

Jean relaxed since he figured he wasn't in mortal peril and asked, "Why'd he split from her group?"

"We don't know, but he started his own group called Subvert Nationality. We don't even know why the git started it. All we know is that for the past five years, he's been hunting for one bloke, and we think him or her, probably another Contractor, had some connections to February."

"Like what kind of connections?" Jules asked.

"If we knew, we wouldn't be having these conversations, mate."

"So what now?" Jean asked.

"Sik will help you find QU025."

The giant man cracked his knuckles at the mention of his name. Jean frowned and glared at Burke.

"I can do this on my own," he stated. "I don't need a Contractor around me."

"The whole lot of us needs these wankers," stated Burke. "Now deal with it, or I'll kill you where you stand."

Burke pulled out a gun hidden under his coat and aimed it Jean. Jean raised his hands before him and nodded he would comply. Burke smiled at him.

"I'm glad we've come to an agreement," said Burke. "I hate to see your blood change the color of this floor." Suddenly a cable wrapped around his gun. He looked down at it baffled. "What the bloody hell is this?"

Unexpectedly a horrific electrical shock shot through his body. He screamed out in pain for a few seconds, and then the cable retracted upwards. Burke fell forwards, looking flabbergasted, as he hit the ground. Jean, Jules and Sik looked upwards to see BK201 standing on an I-bean.

Sik's eyes burned red, as his body outlined in blue, causing his muscles to bulk up, and making them four times stronger. He pulled back his right fist and punched a supporting I-beam to rip it from its foundation. The I-beams overhead gave way to cause the beam to break apart and bring down the roof. BK201 lost his footing and fell, but he was able to wrap his wire around another I-beam, and landed on the ground while running at Sik.

Sik opened up his arms and brought them forth to give BK201 an extreme bear hug, but he ducked it and punched Sik in the stomach. However, that didn't do any good. Sik chuckled, as BK201 stared on bedazzled. Sik socked BK201 in the stomach, sending him flying across the warehouse, and disappearing into the shadows as he collided with the wall.

"I go down in history as guy who kill BK," said Sik. Obviously all his intelligence went into his muscles. "BK dead. BK dead." He taunted, as he walked over to where BK201 vanished. "I kill him while wrestling to pay my price!"

Unfortunately he wasn't there. Sik looked around puzzled in the shadows, checking around I-beams, and kicking at shadows.

"Eh, I hit him hard, he dintegated," said Sik.

"Disintegrated!" shouted Jules to correct Sik.

Sik ignored him while he kept on looking. Suddenly he noticed a figure in the shadows nearby.

"I find!" he shouted.

He ran over to the figure standing in a puddle and swung a punch at it. Unfortunately his fist went through it.

"Eh, spectre?" he muttered. "How it look human?"

"Sp—spectre?" shouted Jean and Jules. "A Doll?"

Suddenly Sik shook in agony from electrocution, and then fell forward. He slammed on the floor, cracking and shaking it. BK201 stood in the puddle behind Sik. His mask was slightly broken, but nothing else seemed wrong with him.

Jules pulled out his gun and shot at BK201 only to have the bullets bounce of his coat. Jules freaked and started running for the door. However, he only made it three meters before BK201 flung out his wire to lasso it around Jules's neck, and pulled back to have his feet slip from the ground and fall on his back.

Jean turned around to run the other way, but he instead ran into an I-beam, making a dong sound, and fell backwards unconscious. BK201 began pulling a frightened Jules towards him, as he fought with the wire. Once he was next to BK201, BK201 grabbed him by the collar to lift him onto his feet, and looked into his eyes.

"So the Syndicate has no connection at all with QU025," he said. "How is it they know his group but the Foreign Affairs don't?"

"What? The Syndicate?" Jules asked. "You think the agency that's behind the matter is the Syndicate? Absurd!"

"Every agency works for them. They are everywhere across the globe."

"And you know this how?"

"I use to work for them. If you see your agency again, have them give a message to their superiors. Tell them I won't stop until either they kill me, or I bring them down."

BK201 sent an electric shock to knock him out.

---

Marcile and Misaki exited the Porsche at a shipyard where AG993 was active, as Saitou and Kouno stepped from Saitou's car. They entered the warehouse while holding out their guns. Before them they saw a man dress in black wearing a cracked mask standing over Jules's motionless body. A shiver ran down Marcile's spine at the haunting image before him.

Kouno and Saitou cringed in fright, as Misaki's body tensed, but she loosened up.

"Freeze!" shouted Saitou, as he shook away his fright. "This ends here, BK201. Just surrender."

BK201 stood in silence for a second, but then he whipped out his line to connect with a sturdy beam, and flew off. Saitou, Kouno and Marcile fired, but surprisingly their shots bounced off him.

He landed on the roof and dashed off. The Foreign Affairs unit charged outside, but lost sight of him.

"What is he, some kind of ghost?" Marcile asked.

Marcile looked over at his boss to see she looked displeased, but also happy, which made him narrow his eyes at her and wonder what she was thinking.

----

Misaki and her colleagues placed Jean in jail, along with Jules, AG993, and an old man who called himself Burke. The rest of the day was a bore interrogating them since they didn't speak a syllable. She figured Hei got more from them, and she hoped he would relay some of it to her tonight.

However, if he did, how would she be able to inform her team of the news? Perhaps she could say it came from an anonymous tip. She would worry about that later.

Misaki looked at the clock and saw it was half passed seven, which told her she had to leave for the shrine. She grabbed a suitcase, stood from her desk, and headed for the elevator.

"Chief, where are you going?" Saitou asked.

"I gotta do some things, so I have to leave early," said Misaki. "You guys can finish up here without me. See you all tomorrow."

Misaki entered the elevator and rode it down to the garage. She stepped from it, headed over to her car to sit in it, and drove off.

Twenty minutes later she pulled into Harajuku. She parked her car nearby and trotted into the shrine while kicking up pebbles. She reached the temple to look around the wide-stone area, but she didn't see Hei. Misaki departed the temple and roamed around the gravel walkway.

She wondered if Hei got cold feet and he decided to meet her at her place again. If that was the case, and he was sitting on her couch, she would drag him to a nearby restaurant for a meal and force him to pay.

"Lovely night; isn't it," said Hei behind her. Misaki jumped. She was about to look back at him, but he stopped her. "Keep walking."

Misaki frowned while biting her bottom lip. She hated not being in control of a situation.

"Thanks for gift wrapping the Contractor and his friends at the shipyard," said Misaki.

"My pleasure," said Hei. "Anything else you got for me?"

"Yes, in this briefcase." Misaki carefully let Hei take it. "Files on the men you snatched up and other workers, including my father's files. Don't ask me for any more files. Its bad enough I gave you all these. What about you? Did you get anything out of those men?"

"Yes."

Hei told her what he had heard.

"They were after QU025?" Misaki asked startled. "Did they give a name or description?"

"No, sorry," said Hei. "I have to go."

Misaki turned around to look at him, but he had disappeared without a sound. How did he do that?

----

Marcile sat on his balcony as the fake stars shined down upon the city. The purple sky seemed to give off an eerie feeling he had never felt before. He knew his chief was holding back information, but he didn't know what.

He had a funny feeling it had something to do with BK201; especially since she hadn't fired at him in the warehouse. She didn't give the expression she was upset he had gotten away, or even cared; she looked more pleased.

What was she hiding, and why?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five: Teenage Crush

Past:

Hei and Bai entered a dining hall to get something to eat. It was the same length as an American football field with a V-shaped roof supported by V-shaped I-beams. The cafeteria line stood parallel to the back wall and long rectangular tables lined up perfectly in rows before it.

The siblings took their place in line. The line was moving slowly forward for Hei, as he felt his stomach about to growl. They reached the serving counter, and as Hei received his food, he moaned that it wasn't even an appetizer for him.

"Eh, can I have more than this?" pouted Hei in English.

"No," said a plump female chef. "Everybody is served the same amount. If you don't like it, then I suggest you hunt for your food. I'm sure you can find something edible."

Hei tilted his head forward, as his sister was given her food, and then they walked over to one of the tables. They sat a ways down from a few other agents and began eating their meals. Hei began downing his food, which caused Bai to look over at him.

"Brother, if you eat slower and chew your food, you'll taste it and it'll last," she said.

Hei looked up from his food smiling while scratching the back of his head. He continued eating his food, trying to do what his sister had mentioned, but his desire for food made him devour it.

Amber entered the dining hall, stood in line to receive her food, and then sat across from Bai and Hei. She picked up a bun and slid the rest over to Hei, making him stare at her perplexed, as she smiled with a shrug.

"I'm not really hungry," she said in Japanese.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes. Help yourself, Hei."

Hei smiled gleefully and downed the food she gave him. Amber watched him eat, showing she wasn't astounded by his appetite, but pleased. It seemed she liked him this way, as if he was a different person than what she had seen on the battlefield.

Within minutes he had the plate empty. They waited a few more minutes for Bai to finish her meal, as Hei drooled while staring at it.

After she finished, they exited the building and began walking around the base. It covered fifteen acres with ten story barracks, communication and debriefing buildings.

The sun shined down from a cloudless sky. The humidity was heavy, making the hot air hard to breath, and forcing the body to sweat. Birds and other wild life creators echoed of the rain forest that surrounded the base.

"Another scorcher," muttered Amber, as she wiped at her forehead.

"Ah," said Bai. "How long do we have to be in this heat?"

"As long as they want us," said Hei.

Amber blinked at him for a second, taking in his feature, and noticing the old Hei had resurfaced. However, she showed no displeasure from his change of mood and looked forward.

Hei's eyes trailed over to her eyes. His brain would torment his dreams by showing images of her gorgeous eyes. He sometimes couldn't get a goodnight sleep because of them. He also began to take in her feminine features. She was a beautiful woman, but she was a Contractor also.

Hei stopped walking, placed his hands on his waist, and frowned as his stomach growled. Amber and Bai turned to face him baffled. His stomach growled again, causing him to bend over slightly in agony.

"Still hungry, hey, Hei?" smiled Amber, pleased to see the other side of him had resurfaced.

"Ah, I need more food," babbled Hei.

"You never seem to bore me. Come on. I think I have some rice hidden away somewhere."

They headed over to her barracks. Minutes later they entered it. Amber kneeled beside her bed to reach under it and pull out a small-rounded wooden bucket. She lifted up the lid and scooped up a few spoons full of rice to place them on a plate. She handed it over to Hei who took it while bowing his thanks, and began eating.

"Amber, you might want to hide your stash somewhere else," said Bai. "Since he knows about it now, he'll be coming here to eat it and you'll have nothing left."

Hei choked on his food at his sister making a joke.

Amber's door opened to show a dark-skinned man popping his head through it.

"I was informed to tell you guys that Amber and Hei are needed at the briefing room," he said in English.

"What about Bai?" Hei asked.

"Only you two. Bai is to stay behind."

"What, why?"

"Brother, it's all right," assured Bai. "I'll be fine."

Hei frowned, but nodded, and headed off with Amber. They arrived at the briefing room and sat down before their general. He was an average-sized fifty-year-old man with military haircut that was graying.

"I called you two here because I need your power, Amber, to sneak into the CIA base camp and steal a map of Heaven's Gate's perimeter and bases," he said. "I want Hei with you because of his close-combat expertise."

"What about Bai?" Hei asked. "Bai can help us."

"Not if you have to carry her. You two don't need that type of an obstacle. You two leave within the hour."

---

Present:

The sun was setting, giving the landscape a colorful glow. Crickets hummed to each other in the shadows, as a teenage girl, dressed in a white blouse and blue shirt schoolgirl outfit, headed home after shopping in Shibuya. She had shoulder length brown hair pulled back by a purple hair tie, dark mystical eyes hidden by circular reading glasses, and a small purple purse.

The girl walked along a riverbed in Shinjuku that showed Hell's Gate in the distance. She was listening to her iPod, as she typed, "C U later," in English with her purple cell phone, and sent it to her friend. She flipped it closed, placed it in her purse, and swished her hair out of her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt as if she was being followed. The girl looked over her shoulder petrified, believing a pervert was stalking her. However, there wasn't anybody, which freaked her out even more. She began to think the unknown person, in her theory, was connected to her father's disappearance, and now he or she was after her.

She decided to run. To her dissatisfaction, she could hear footsteps that weren't her own. She cringed in fear, as she crossed a bridge before Misuzu's apartment complex.

"Somebody, help me!" she screamed.

Unexpectedly, the girl ran into someone, causing him to drop four bags of groceries he was carrying. She panicked, thinking he was her stalker, and began hitting him in the chest.

"Wait, stop!" he pleaded.

"No, get away from me!" she demanded.

"But I'm a…"

"PERVERT!!"

She socked the unknown man across the face. He twirled one hundred-eighty degrees before plopping on his stomach. He rubbed his cheek, but then he found himself blocking a dozen kicks from the girl.

"Wait, please… ouch! Stop!" he begged. "I'm a… police off… ouch! Officer!"

"Liar! You're a stalker!"

"If you… ouch! Let me… show you… ouch! My badge… I can… oouuchh! Prove it."

The girl stopped. She looked down at him, as he reached into his back pocket to pull out a wallet. He opened it in which the girl snatched and stared at it. Her eyes widened in shock, her body stiffening while feeling horrified at what she had done.

She began to picture herself sitting in a courtroom with the battered and bruised officer she had beaten up being asked who had attacked him. He, sitting in a wheelchair, slowly raised his casted right hand to point at her. Everybody in the room awed, as the judge slammed his mallet on his desk to sentence her to life in prison.

"NNOO!! I don't want that!" she hollered.

The bruised officer's eyes slanted peculiarly as he looked up at her. He was about to stand, but the girl bent over before him, took a hold of his right arm, and pulled him up. He cried out from the sudden jerk, causing her to let go and gasp in fright while she placed her hands to her mouth.

She removed them and said, "I'm sorry. Please don't lock me up."

The officer stood while cursing. Without warning, she found herself taking in his feature. He had short black and spiky hair, a handsome sharp face, and bedazzling sky blue eyes. How could she beat up a cute guy like him? No doubt she had scarred his face for life.

"Tsk, I'm not going to lock you up," he growled, as he stretched out the aches and pains he was feeling in his sides. "Obviously you were being followed."

"Eh?" questioned the girl. She shook away her startled expression and said, "Oh yeah, I was."

"I do find it peculiar why you would think that your stalker somehow had leaped over the river to get in front of you."

The girl's jaw dropped open hysterically. She was going to jail for sure now. She got on her knees while placing her hands together, and stared up at him with puppy eyes.

"Please, Officer-san, don't throw me in the slammer!"

"I have no intentions of such a thing, young lady," he stated with a frown, causing him to flinch from a pinch in his jaw. "Ah, I think you knocked a tooth loose."

"AAHH!! I'll pay for your dentist's bill, even though I don't have much money. How about I get a part-time job?"

"Would you relax! I'm not going to sue! I'd have a hard time explaining to my superiors tomorrow why I have a black eye, and I sure don't want to tell them a schoolgirl beat me up."

The girl stared at him flabbergasted, and then found her right eyelid twitching from irritation concerning his comment.

The handsome, but rude man reached behind his back, grabbed his gun, and trained it forward. The girl blinked at him baffled.

"Get behind me," he ordered her. "I'm going to check around the area for anybody else."

The girl looked on speechless at his generosity after she had kicked him like an international football. She stood from her knees and did what he asked, as he walked cautiously towards the bridge. He scanned the vicinity, but he saw nothing. He placed his gun behind his back, making the girl stand on her tee-pee-toes, hoping to spy on what he wore underneath his pants. Unfortunately, she didn't find out. He turned around to face her.

"Looks like whoever it was, he's long gone," he said. "What's your name?"

"Eh? Yamani Azumi," she said while bowing.

"Marcile Fukazawa." He introduced himself while returning the bow.

"Fukazawa-san. Oops, I mean, Officer Marcile."

"It's actually Officer Fukazawa. Fukazawa is my heritage name. But you can call me Marcile-san if you like."

_How about be mine for eternity?_ she thought.

Azumi shook away the thought and said, "Why do you refer to your given name first?"

"It's a long story. How about I escort you home? I'm sure nobody else would want to come across your lethal weapons."

Azumi nodded; pleased she could spend a little more time with her dream man. They began to head away from the apartment and bridge. She blushed slightly, as she laced her fingers together while stretching her arms downwards from feeling sheepish around Marcile. His name was the only thing that bugged her. She thought of nicknaming him Mars-kun since it sounded cuter than Marcile-san.

"Why do you think you had a stalker?" he asked.

"Eh?" Azumi asked off guard. "Well, I think it has to do with my father disappearing two months back. The police said he probably ran off on my mother and me, but I know that isn't true.

"I know my father loves my mother and me. I think someone kidnapped him. He was working on a secret project that he couldn't tell my mom or me."

"Whom does he work for?" Marcile asked.

"He's a scientist for some company. My dad would work from morning to night, seven days a week. I barely saw him on a daily bases. At night four years ago, when I was fourteen, my mom would scream at him for his long hours. Four months ago, she had threatened to leave him if he didn't quit.

"He did what she had asked, and I think that is why my dad is missing. You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"No," said Marcile. "After you had beaten me to a bloody pulp, you hung around to apologize instead of running off, even if it meant you were going to get locked up."

"Most people would find that crazy."

"And those people are the insane ones, because they just made things worse by running off."

They reached Azumi's apartment, which had been a few blocks from his place. Azumi guided Marcile up two flights of stairs along side the white building, and walked up to room 321. He knocked on the door. Moments later a woman in her late thirties, resembling Azumi, opened it. She looked at her daughter baffled, and then at Marcile with a stern look.

"New boyfriend?" she asked.

_I wish. _Azumithought, as Marcile's face turned bright red.

"Eh, no," he said while shaking his hands in front of him. "I'm Detective Fukazawa. Your daughter was being followed by someone. I decided to guide her home."

"Followed? By whom?"

"I don't know, miss."

"Well anyway, thank you. Azumi, get cleaned up for dinner."

"All right, Mother," said Azumi.

She entered the house, turned to face Marcile, and bowed her thanks. He returned the gesture. Azumi departed and disappeared around a corner.

"Might I ask a question?" the mother asked. "Aren't you a little young to be a detective?"

"Eh, it's a long story, miss. If there is any other problem, please don't hesitate to call the police."

"Yes well, I'll make sure to ask for you. Goodnight, Detective."

"Goodnight." He bowed.

The mother closed the door. Marcile descended the stairs and headed home. Suddenly he remembered his grocery bags were still lying on the ground, causing him to bolt back to his apartment as quickly as he could.

Once he made it back, he saw his Landlady whipping her broom around at the alley cats that were making a feast out of his food.

"Scat, you mangy felines!" she yelled. "Who in the heck would have left all this food out? Darn it! Now I'm going to have these pests around twenty-four, seven!"

Marcile cringed at the sight and snuck behind his Landlady so she wouldn't see him. He was upset his money had gone to waste, but he would rather lose sleep over that than have Misuzu beat him with her broomstick.

---

Misaki exited her bathroom, drying her hair with a towel after taking a shower, and sat on her couch to turn on the late news. It was gibberish nonsense that they were talking about, causing her to change to another channel that was airing the late night show of Soul Eater. She wasn't into anime, but it was something to pass the time until she fell asleep.

Her phone on her desk began to ring. She picked it up to see it was Kanami calling. Misaki rolled her eyes, knowing she wouldn't be falling asleep anytime soon. She flipped open the phone and placed it to her right ear.

"What is it, Kanami?" she asked.

"_Just calling to say how's work, and how's that new kid you got?"_ replied Kanami.

"Fine, although I wish Matsumoto was still around.

"_I heard from Ootsuka he's kind of cute."_

"Ootsuka told you that?"

"_Actually, I had her take a picture with her phone and e-mail it to my phone. He's not seeing any one, is he?"_

"He's eleven years younger than you."

"_So what? I wonder if he's still a virgin."_

Misaki shook her head and said, "I can't believe I'm having this conversation with you. Did you ever think I might be interested in him too?"

"_No, you're too much into Li-kun and you can't let him go. You keep turning down the guys I introduce to you at my parties."_

"Well, maybe I see something in him like Li."

Misaki's mind swirled in disarray. After she had said Li, it made her feel like she had traveled back five years. She couldn't bring herself to say Hei in front of him, and the person she had been meeting wasn't her Li.

"_You mean his appetite for food?" _questioned Kanami. _"Maybe so, but I still say you can't let go of Li-kun. You should take two weeks off, 'cause everybody knows you haven't had any R and R in forever, and look him up in China. Oh, and don't give me that, 'It's not that simple,' crap. It is."_

It wasn't, and Misaki couldn't explain it to Kanami. She would be in trouble for knowing BK201's identity and not doing anything about it. However, since the Syndicate had their claws wrapped around the Foreign Affairs, her bosses might not give a rat's tail about it.

"Sorry, Kanami, but my battery is low," said Misaki. "I got to let you go."

"_Liar! Your battery isn't dying!" _shouted Kanami. _"You just want to…"_

Misaki hit her end button to cut off her friend. Within seconds her phone began ringing again. She ignored it and let the thing go to voice mail. No doubt her friend would be upset with her.

She leaned back in her chair to watch the program she was missing, as the phone stopped ringing. What a year she was having, and she hoped there wasn't going to be any more surprises for her anytime soon.

Her phone chimed to let her know she had received a text. Misaki sighed, figuring it was Kanami giving her a few curse words, and picked up the phone to get it over. She flipped it open to see it wasn't from her friend.

_Tomorrow night at 10 near Tokyo Tower. _It read.

Misaki placed her left hand on her forehead and shook her head. He was a persistent individual that was getting under her skin. If Hei kept on bugging her, she was going to arrest him.

More to the point, how did he get her number?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six: Rescue

Past:

Hei and Amber hiked through the wilderness in the cover of darkness. The leaves were moist from the daytime humidity, dampening Hei's outfit, as he pushed branches and leaves out of his path while their boots sank in ankle deep mud. Arrow-poisoned frogs made their presences known in the murky puddles nearby, as they devoured on insects. A python slithered towards their ruckus in order to fill up the hunger it was experiencing.

Hei wondered what snakes tasted like. Perhaps like chicken. He pulled out his knife and threw it to decapitate the creature. They were two days out until reaching the CIA's campsite and he needed something to eat. He picked up the snake's thrashing body, as well as his knife, and began draining and cleaning it as he and Amber continued walking.

"Think that's enough for us both?" Amber asked.

"No, keep an eye out for more," said Hei.

Hei wished Bai was with them, which would have made him feel a little more comfortable around Amber.

"Traitorous, isn't it?" Amber asked, as if to lighten the mood.

"Ah. The morning and afternoon hike is going to be worse."

Hei noticed another snake curled up sleeping under a bush. He cautiously walked over to it, snatched it by the neck, and snapped it.

"Can I ask you a personal question, Hei?" muttered Amber. He nodded for her to go ahead. "Why'd you follow Bai to the Syndicate? You could be with your mom in China right now."

"But I would have lost my memory of Bai and think she was dead, as my mother is thinking that right now," replied Hei. "I didn't want that. I had begged the Syndicate to take me with them so I could protect her."

"And now your mother thinks you and Bai are dead, right?"

"Ah. The Syndicate had wiped her memory of Bai using her power, and then told her we were kidnapped, killed, and our bodies burned. It was a hard decision on my part since we had lost our father a week prior to that."

"Do you ever think about leaving the Syndicate?"

Hei didn't respond to her question, but he instead thought on it. The comment boggled his mind. However, if he did leave the Syndicate, they would most likely send Contractors left and right at him until he was dead.

"It's never crossed my mind," he said. "But if I did, I'd take Bai with me."

"Is that so," said Amber. "If you do, take me with you as well."

--

Present

Marcile entered the Foreign Affairs floor with a cotton bandage on the right side of his face, a black eye, and a swollen lip. Saitou and Kouno looked up from their work and stared at him stupefied.

"What happen to you?" Kouno asked.

"I tripped and fell down the stairs at my apartment," Marcile lied. The last thing they needed to know was a seventeen-year-old girl giving him a beat-down. "A stupid cat was lying on one of the top steps, and well, you can picture the rest."

"Are you all right, you need me to take you to the hospital?" Saitou gestured.

"No, I'll be fine."

Marcile sat at his desk and began looking over the missing reports. He found the case Azumi was talking about concerning her father, and printed out a copy of it.

His name was Agama, a well-known scientist who had won a Nobel Prize a few years back. He worked outside of the city, which would have made him take the Tokaido Shinkansen.

Marcile gathered a map of Tokyo to draw out the quickest route from Azumi's apartment to the train Shinkansen line.

"What are you working on?" Ootsuka asked, as she walked up to his desk. She was holding a bunch of folders against her chest, as she stared down at the map. "Planning on taking a trip or something?" She closed her eyes and smiled. "Don't get too excited. The chief doesn't give out a lot of free time."

"Ah, I kind of figured that out already," he smiled.

Ootsuka bowed and headed back over to her work area to drop the folders onto her desk. She sat down, picked up one of the folders, and began reading the files.

Kirihara Misaki entered the room and sat at her desk to roam around on her computer for something. Marcile returned to his computer screen to continue reading about Agama. Unfortunately, he couldn't find any more information.

Marcile leaned back in his chair while placing his right hand under his chin. It didn't make sense for a brilliant scientist like Agama-sensei to go missing unless something happened. He was betting, because of Agama's smarts—and whatever he was working on that was a secret—he had been kidnapped.

"Detective Fukazawa," said Misaki from behind him.

He jumped and turned around to stare up at her.

"Ye—yes, Chief?" he asked.

He thought she was going to chew him out for looking through a missing person case instead of checking on reports concerning Contractor activity.

"Are you all right? It looks like you got into a bar fight," she said.

"Eh, no, just fell," he said, and retold what he had told Saitou and Kouno.

"A cat did that?" Her eyes slanted, as she crossed her arms, and then frowned. "Why don't you take the day off and get some rest. Maybe you should go see a doctor."

"What? But I'm fine!"

Marcile stood up quickly, but then grabbed his side where Azumi had kicked him over a dozen times, and cringed in pain.

"Obviously you're not," Misaki stated. "Get out of here and have a doctor look at those bruises."

"But…?"

"No buts, and if you don't do what I say, kiss the Foreign Affairs goodbye."

"Ye—yes, Chief."

Marcile grabbed the stuff he was working on, closed down his computer, and headed out of the building. He walked towards the nearest train station, not to take to the hospital, but instead to Tokaido Shinkansen. He figured this would be his best bet to get a lead on Agama-sensei's disappearance.

Once he reached his destination, he began asking commuters questions about him while showing a picture. He had gone through three-dozen people before a clerk at a booth noticed him.

"Oh yeah," said the plump old man. "He always stopped by my place to buy some tea. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him for over two months now."

"When's the last time you saw him?" Marcile asked.

"Two months ago on the morning of a Wednesday. I won't forget that day. It's the same day my wife said she was pregnant. I work all day and I see him when he comes back, but I didn't see him that day."

"Did he seem sad?"

"No. He was quite happy. He told me he was going to quit his job and start over with his family."

"Really?"

----

Marcile headed back to his apartment as dusk was setting. Apparently, nobody had seen anything concerning Agama-sensei's disappearance. People that had seen him day in and day out wondered what had happened, but they had thought at the time it had been a trivial thing. A desk clerk guessed Agama-sensei might have died in a dark alley.

No matter what the reason was, Marcile still found it odd!

He reached his place to ascend the stairs and stopped to look at his door peculiarly. It was slightly opened, which made him figure his Landlady was in it, but the lights were off. He pulled out his gun, remembering to click off the safety, and entered.

He flicked on his light to see nobody, but he kept looking around. He slid open his closet doors to find them filled with only his clothes and a futon.

A creek sounded from behind. Marcile turned around at the noise to have his gun knocked out of his hand by a guy in a ski mask. Marcile, with little training in martial arts, swung his right fist at the intruder, but the intruder blocked it and jabbed Marcile in the nose. Marcile grabbed his nose as blood seeped from it, giving his intruder an open shot to perform a right hook, followed by a left, and then another right.

Marcile stumbled sideways, fell onto his knees, and spit out blood with the tooth Azumi had knocked loose. The intruder kicked Marcile in his stomach… once… twice… and a third time. He rolled onto his back while cringing in pain and holding his side. He thought he heard a rib crack.

The intruder pulled out a pocketknife, held it in his left hand backhanded, and glared down at Marcile.

"You shouldn't have snooped around in our business, copper," he said.

"You mean you breaking into my apartment and beating me to a pulp has to do with Azumi's father?" questioned Marcile. "So she was right. He was kidnapped. Why?"

"Information to a soon dead man is a waste of breath."

The intruder raised his left hand and brought it down towards Marcile's chest. Marcile rolled out of the way at the last minute as the knife stabbed the tatami mat. Marcile retrieved his gun and fired a round into the intruder's shoulder.

Marcile's Landlady entered, looking petrified, and said, "What's going on?"

"Call the police!" said Marcile. She stared at him lost for words, but she complied and ran off. He looked back at the intruder while ripping off the mask. The intruder had a rounded face and a scar on his left cheek. "Who are you?"

"Like… I'll tell… you," said the intruder while growling in pain. Marcile frowned. He grabbed the intruder's wound and pushed on it. "OUCH!! That's torture! I'll sue."

"Prove it. Now tell me what I want to know, or feel that kind of pain again. Who are you and where is Agama-sensei?"

The intruder smiled and said, "Go to hell."

Marcile dug his thumb into the wound, causing the intruder to growl and then scream.

"All right, all right! Just stop already," pleaded the intruder. "An abandon building two blocks over from a restaurant in Nakano."

Moments later the local police arrived with Kirihara Misaki. She surveyed the scene, as if reminiscing in a past memory, and looked back at Marcile baffled.

"He told you why he broke in?" she asked.

"Yes." He told her what he had been doing all day, and then mentioned the intruder's assassination attempt.

"I thought I had ordered you to go to the hospital; not go snooping around the city for a missing person! That's the local police's department."

"But, Chief, I got him to tell me where Agama-sensei is."

"So you're his superior!" shouted the intruder, as the medics tended to his wound. "I'm making a complaint to your boss that I was tortured!"

Misaki looked over at the intruder, as Marcile's heart started to beat ten times faster while he feared she would lecture him about it.

"Good luck," she said instead. "Without any witnesses or video footage, you'll have a hard time proving it." She looked over at a blue suit. "You guys got him?"

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded.

Misaki gestured for Marcile to follow her. They exited the apartment room to see his neighbors were watching the incident, and stormed down the steps.

Misuzu stared at Misaki puzzled, and then shouted, "Oh, it's you! Misaki, right? How have you been?"

"Fine, thank you," replied Misaki.

"Heard from Li lately?"

"Eh, no. Sorry, we have to get going."

Misaki and Marcile entered her car. She peeled out of the parking lot and headed towards Nakano. She clicked on her CB and said, "This is Section-Chief Kirihara Misaki. I want all available units at Nakano at an abandon building concerning a kidnapping. All vehicles are to park two blocks away in order to not tipoff the kidnappers."

"_Rodger, Section-Chief," _said a voice and repeated the message.

"You knew this Li person well?" Marcile asked.

Misaki glanced at him for a second before returning her eyes to the road.

"I've met him before," she said. "We… had spent a day together and well, in the end, things didn't work out."

"Was it because he was kicked out of the country?"

Miskai didn't respond.

"I'm sorry, I was out of line," he said. "It's none of my business."

"You're right, its not," said Misaki, "but to answer your question, no. There was more, and I don't want to talk about that."

"Was it hard for you to step into my apartment since it used to be Li's?"

Misaki was quiet for a bit, as she gulped at an uneasiness she felt lingering in her throat.

"A little," she replied. "Although, not as bad as it had been."

They reached their destination moments later.

"This is Kirihara Misaki, how long until back-up arrives?" she asked.

"_Chief, it's Saitou. We're ten to fifteen minutes out." _

"Copy that. Hurry and get over here."

---

Agama was sitting in a chair with his hands duck taped in front of him. His captors, seven of them, had nine-millimeters holstered to their sides. They were Asian men around their mid thirties with slightly gray hair, wore black leather jackets, and black jean pants.

His captors hid him in a building that had ripped out drywall with strands of wiring hanging out from them and from the ceiling as well. There were puddles scattered around the floor from leaks in the roof.

Agama wasn't fit himself. He was over the hill with his balding gray hair, and he was a little over weight. His face's skin was dried up to show his bone structure and a few wrinkles under his eyes.

Two of the jacket men walked up to him.

"How about you give us the virus you were working on," said the bigger man of the two. "It only kills Contractors."

"I refuse," stated Agama.

"Come on now, Doc," said the shorter man. "Give us the formula and you can go home. We promise not to try to kidnap your daughter again. The only person who is going to die through all this is that nosy cop. Just give us the stuff so we can sell it to Pandora."

"I won't. I can't. The test we've done; the virus had mutated. Not only will it kill Contractors, but humans as well."

"Liar!" shouted the bigger man.

"I'm not lying. It's mutated because it needs to compensate the Contractors. They've evolved. Most of them have been showing emotions."

"What a bunch of crock!"

The small man looked towards the door and asked, "I wonder what is taking Upty so long?"

"He probably went to go try his luck at one of those pinball games."

Without warning, the door burst in as a special ops unit stormed in with the Foreign Affairs. The black coat men took cover, as the bigger man grabbed Agama and hid.

"This is the police, lay down your weapons and surrender," demanded Section-Chief Kirihara.

"Go to hell!" shouted the short man.

He and the other black jacket men opened fired. The ops unit and Foreign Affairs took cover around walls and returned fire.

The bigger man looked on the scene petrified, disbelieving that his plans on kidnapping the sensei and getting the formula to the Syndicate had gone up in smoke. He cursed and dragged Agama out of the building.

Marcile noticed and chased after them.

"Fukazawa, wait!" shouted Misaki since she couldn't follow.

The bigger man ran out of the building, as Agama struggled. Marcile drew closer, which forced the bigger man to shoot at him. Marcile jumped behind a trash container, as the bullets struck it. He peeked around it and jerked his head back from another close shot.

"Give up, you won't escape," said Marcile.

"I don't believe you people!" shouted the bigger man. "We are trying to rid the world of Contractors and this is how you thank us?"

"By kidnapping someone?"

"In order to make the world a better place you have to get your hands a little dirty."

"And who made you judge, jury and executioner?"

The bigger man growled, fired another shot, and pushed Agama towards Marcile so he could escape. Marcile ran over to kneel next to Agama.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yes," the sensei replied.

"Stay here."

Marcile stood and ran after the bigger man. Agama breathed out heavily and pleased he would get to see his family again.

---

An ops unit took out one of the black jacket men, as Misaki took out another. The remaining four black jacket men looked on horrified at what to do since their leader had run off.

"Surrender, and no one else has to get hurt!" shouted Misaki.

"Like hell!" shouted one of the remaining men, and stood to fire.

However, he was met by a few bullets to the chest, and then fell backwards dead. The three men that were still alive threw down their guns and raised their hands in defeat. The ops unit rounded them up and cuffed them.

"Saitou, Kouno, follow me," ordered Misaki.

They nodded and trailed behind Misaki. They stormed out through the back entrance and saw Agama standing nearby unharmed. He held up his arms to show he was surrendering.

"You can lower your hands, sir," said Misaki, as she and her colleagues drew closer to him. He did so. "Where's my officer?"

He pointed down the alley and said, "He ran after my captor."

"Saitou, Kouno, stay with the sensei."

They nodded in agreement, allowing Misaki to head down the alley.

---

Marcile scanned around the back alleys, trying to get a fix on where the bigger man had run off. Suddenly a shot whizzed by his right shoulder, causing him to roll on the ground and take cover behind a corner as more gunfire blazed at him. He sat against the wall while breathing heavily.

"Do you Foreign Dogs give up?" the bigger man yelled.

"To serve and protect the innocent, no," stated Marcile.

"Serve and protect? Serve and protect? That's a bunch of crap! Some good you people did protecting my wife from those monsters! Do you know how much it hurts to lose a loved one because of those things?"

Marcile closed his eyes, as he thought about his own father riding the train home from the city to the suburbs one night. Apparently, a Contractor had been on board as well. The Contractor didn't work for an agency, but some terrorist group that had appeared after the Tokyo Explosion.

The Contractor had gotten off the train at a stop, but he had also left his mark behind. Once he was clear of the train station, he blew it to pieces, along with everybody on and around the train.

The Contractor's Messier code was KB102. Unfortunately, he had never been caught.

"Ah, I do," replied Marcile. He opened his eyes and peeked around the corner. "But the way you are doing this is wrong. No matter how much you hate them, you can't take the law into your own hands."

"Tsk, what a load of garbage," muttered the bigger man.

He shot at Marcile again and ran off around a corner from the distraction. Marcile cursed and stood to chase after his prey. He heard the bigger man holler from being startled at something, fired a few shots, and then screamed out in pain, as a bright blue light shimmered and an electrocution sound echoed around the corner.

"BK201?" babbled Marcile.

Marcile turned the corner while aiming his gun, but he only saw the bigger man lying on the ground. He slowly walked towards the downed man, as he kept his gun drawn. Once Marcile reached the bigger man, he checked for a pulse and felt one. He continued scanning the area until Misaki arrived.

"What happened?" she asked.

"BK201," he replied while holstering his weapon.

---

Later, at the Foreign Affairs, Azumi and her mother stormed in to be reunited with Agama. Azumi's mother hugged and kissed him dearly, as Azumi balled out her eyes. She walked over to Marcile and bowed before him.

"Thank you so much for saving my father, Marcile-san," she said.

"No problem," said Marcile with a smile.

She stood straight and threw her arms around him while rubbing her cheeks against his to have them turn blood red.

"Oh, how can I repay you, Mars-sama?" she lovingly asked. "Maybe I could treat you to a meal?"

"You don't want to do that, he's got a bottomless pit," said Kouno.

Azumi looked at him baffled while blinking, and then smiled as she continued squeezing and rubbing against Marcile, as if he were a teddy bear.

"Ah, not only is he so cute, he's mysterious," she sang.

"You also know that he's nineteen and you're seventeen," said Azumi's mother.

"For another month, mom," Azumi pouted, as she gazed at her with narrowed eyes.

"Yes, I know. How about we go home?"

The Yamani family headed over to the elevators, as Azumi blew Marcile a goodbye kiss. Saitou and Kouno walked up to Marcile smiling devilishly, causing Marcile to frown at them with sweat dripping down the side of his face.

"Somebody's got a crush on you," Saitou and Kouno teased.

---

Misaki walked around Tokyo Tower's hill slope parking lot looking for Hei. Unfortunately, he was a diamond in the ruff. She couldn't tell the difference of a foreigner to a local with everybody cluttered together. She tried to pick out whoever was acting the strangest, but the spectators showed no signs of uneasiness.

A girl with long straight hair that was darkish-brown with bangs bumped into her. She wore a pink t-shirt and a dark purple skirt that came down to her knees.

"Sorry," the girl said, and walked off.

Misaki huffed while remembering to scold Hei for getting her into this mess. Suddenly she felt something in her pocket and pulled it out to see it was an earpiece. A shiver ran down her spine, as she realized the girl who had bumped into her must have dropped it into her pocket.

She fitted the device into her ear.

"_Go into the gift shop,_" the brown-hairedgirl said into her ear.

Misaki did what was ordered and looked around the place.

"_Head upstairs,_" the girl instructed.

Misaki squared off her shoulders and headed up the stairs. Once she reached the second level, she scanned the area but saw nobody.

"_Head to the back of the shop and enter through the, 'employee's only,' door,"_ said the girl.

Misaki did what was asked, but she didn't see anybody.

"You're late," said someone from behind her.

She turned around to see Hei in a blue coat. She frowned at him while crossing her arms.

"Was it necessary to have me walking around like that?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Hei.

Her lips fell lopsided.

"What is it that you want?" she asked.

"To ask what you know about your father," said Hei.

She stared at him confused. Why would he be asking about her father? Did he find anything out in those folders that told a different story about him?

"Like what?" she asked.

"Do you know when he joined the Foreign Affairs and what he did?"

"Yes, just after Heaven and Hell's Gate's appeared. However, I wasn't told that until I had started working for them. Why?"

"Your father is a busy man."

"I know, what's this about anyways?"

"He's not the man you think he is."

"Neither were you."

"He's been lying to you."

Misaki snorted and angrily said, "And you haven't?" Hei held out a thick envelope before her. She stared at it for a second and took it. "What is this?"

"This contains pictures of your father and the truth about him."

"Where'd you get this?"

"From me. I had my Doll follow him, and she had told me the things he was doing. I took these to show you his true side."

"Show me his true side? Maybe I don't want to know. Did you ever think of that?"

"Yes, but I knew you would want to know."

Misaki narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Li Shenshung knew me. Hei doesn't."

Hei stared at her for a second before his eyes drooped sorrowfully. Misaki's displeased feature faded, as she stared at him flabbergasted.

"Sorry, Kirihara-san," he said.

He turned around and exited the room. Misaki rushed out only to see he had disappeared again.

She had seen it with her own eyes after so many years. Hei had been wrong. Li Shenshung still existed inside him.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter seven: Stalkers

Past:

The night had consumed the sky. The fake stars glimmered above, as a few shined bright or fell. Monkeys made a ruckus while birds sung their hums for the night. A handful of fake stars shined brightly to indicate Contractors were active somewhere across the world. Within minutes, a few of them began to fall.

In the clearing of trees, Hei and Amber sat around a crackling fire that was cooking a few snakes and other creatures they had caught. Hei's stomach growled, as he tried waiting patiently for his food. A pot of water that had been already boiled sat next to it.

Amber sat quietly with her eyes gazing at the fire, as if hypnotized by its orange glow.

Hei's stomach growled again, making him snatch the snake from the fire to eat it. Amber looked over at him and smiled.

"Never can keep that stomach full, can you, Hei?" she said.

He sheepishly smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked. Amber gestured for him to. "Did… you have anybody special… in your life before becoming a Contractor?"

"I did, but that had been a long time ago," said Amber. "My parents, sister, brother and the man I had loved think I'm dead. It was clarified that I had drove my car off the Tower Bridge and drowned in the River Thames. Of course my body had never been found."

"Did you ever think about letting them know you're still alive?"

"I have, but I've decided to let it go. I know within years from now I won't exist due to my price. Moreover, the man I had loved found someone else, and my family had gotten over their grief. I couldn't put them through that again."

"Did you two have any kids?"

"No. I was more worried about my career than having kids."

"Do you ever regret it?"

Amber stared at him in silence.

"Not really, Hei. Think about it: a child growing up without a mother. Wouldn't that be devastating?"

Hei pondered on the comment. It would have been, but at least the man she had loved would have had apart of her with him. He didn't want to say that to Amber since it wouldn't have mattered to her.

She reached for a snake and began eating it, as Hei watched her munch on it. He wondered if she did have a child with her husband, would she have felt anything about leaving the kid.

---

Present:

Kurasawa Gai headed towards his office in a downpour. The rain dripped from the brim of his cowboy hat, as he tried lighting a cigarette. He hated days like these since it was hard to light it. He gave up and dealt with his nicotine craving until he reached his place. If only he would have listened to the weatherman who had said it was going to rain, he wouldn't have forgotten his umbrella. Unfortunately, when he looked outside there wasn't a cloud in sight and figured, since they were wrong a majority of the time, the weatherman had gotten the weather wrong.

Gai entered the building moments later and ascended the stairs while lighting his cigarette. Once he stepped onto his floor, he saw an old man, as round as an international football, standing in front of the door. He was shorter than an average Japanese man was, had lighter skin color, and gray hair that was balding in the middle with a ponytail.

The balding man turned to face Gai, as Gai narrowed his eyes.

"Are you Private Eye, Kurasawa Gai?" he asked.

Gai nodded in reply, wondering whom this man was. Perhaps he was from the Cable Company or Electrician Company.

The balding man walked up to Gai to bow slightly due to his rounded belly, and said, "I'm Bakumaru Fujikawa. I would like to hire you to take pictures of this man and record his movements."

He pulled out a file from his tan trench coat, opened it, and held out a picture. On it was a young Asian man with short black and spiky hair, and calm blue eyes.

"His name is Fukazawa Marcile," continued the balding man. "We believe he is a spy, and we think he's using the Foreign Affairs as cover."

"We?" question Gai.

"I work for the government. We are willing to pay one hundred thousand yen for your service."

"Is that so?" Gai's eyes lighted up like Christmas lights.

"So you'll do it?"

"Of course. Where can I find him?"

"He lives in Shinjuku Okubo at Misuzu's place."

The man turned away and descended the stairs. Gai unlocked his office door, entered it, and sat behind his desk. He looked at the picture, wondering where he had seen this person before since he looked familiar, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

He pushed the thought away, figuring the spiky-haired man had worked at a fast food restaurant Gai had to weasel his way out of. He threw the picture down, opened up a drawer, and pulled out a camera he had bought ten years ago. Gai put his cigarette on the ashtray and blew off the dust on the camera, causing him to cough from it. He pointed it towards him, wondering if it still worked, and he snapped a shot to blind his eye from it.

Gai started to rub at them in order to return his vision. Within seconds, the blinding vision dissipated, allowing him to notice a young woman with an hourglass figure enter his office, which made him smile with glee. However, as his eyes refocused, he realized he was staring at Kiko.

She wore a blue suit with rectangular glasses that had thick frames, dyed her hair brown, and pulled it back into a ponytail.

"What, do you find me sexy in this outfit?" Kiko asked, as she struck a sexy pose.

Gai frowned and said, "Hardly. I had gotten something in my eyes. I didn't realize your breast were implants until I noticed it was you."

"That's sexual harassment. I'll sue!" stated Kiko, and then pushed up on her breast. "And these aren't implants, just pads to make my figure look sexier! I thought they looked good with this outfit."

"You just wear that outfit to look like that detective woman, and hopefully when Li-kun returns he'll fall head-over-heels for you and not her."

Kiko narrowed her eyes, as her right eyelid twitched in irritation. Five years ago, after a comment like that, she would have stepped on his foot. However, after taking a year of yoga, she instead collected herself and calmed down. She then noticed the file on Gai's desk.

"What's that?" she asked.

"A case," replied Gai, and told her what it was.

Kiko picked up the picture and stared down at it. Her face blushed while she smiled with glee, as drool seeped down her chin. She wiped at it and said, "He's so cute. He could spy on me all day." She shook away the thought. "No, no, Li-san is the only man for me."

"Give up on him. He's not coming back."

"Don't say that! He'll get his immigration papers worked out; come back, and then we'll get married. You'll see."

"Idiot! I bet the whole immigration stuff is a hoax. I bet he got sick of you stalking him and left. Unfortunately Kirihara Misaki had to suffer the most because of your actions."

"You're still trying to pin the whole thing on me? That's mean!"

"It's true, Kiko."

"Where's your proof?"

"I don't need proof."

Kiko grinded her teeth together, grabbed a stapler, and stapled the picture to Gai's forehead.

"AAAHHHHGGGG!!"

---

Hei stood in the mist of a crowded JR line, as he kept his eyes on Marcile. For some reason the Syndicate had put him on the top of their list according to the Intel he had received. He wasn't informed what, but he figured if the Syndicate wanted to keep a close eye on Marcile, it was best to keep his eyes on him as well.

Unfortunately, Misaki's new recruit spent most of his day's running back and forth from Misuzu's apartment complex to the Foreign Affairs. He didn't go astray from his course or meet up with any individuals. Yin watched him at the Police Department typing on the computer all day. At his place, all he did was cook food, shower and sleep.

It didn't make sense why the Syndicate would target the boy. Perhaps they figured because of his smarts for his age, they decided to learn his routine, and assassinate him when he was vulnerable.

However, Hei found it peculiar that he and Yin hadn't noticed anybody following the boy except him. He believed the Syndicate might have been using Dolls, but they hadn't seen any of them.

He figured if he didn't get his foot on why the Syndicate was moving on Fukazawa, the boy would most likely be killed. Maybe he should tell Misaki about it.

No, she had her own problems she had to face concerning her father. Hei would be the boy's shadow for now.

The train pulled into the next station. The majority of the commuters departed it, including Marcile and Hei. Hei kept his distance from the boy as they descended the stairs and exited the station.

Once they had cleared the crowded streets and headed down the alley towards Misuzu's; Hei drew farther back and let Yin watch him from puddles and other areas that had water. While Hei walked down the street, he felt like he was heading home after going out with Misaki to a fancy restaurant, but that was far from the truth.

They drew closer to Hei's old apartment, and as they did, Hei felt something wrong. He hid behind a white brick wall while placing his back against it to peek around the corner.

"Yin, is there anybody suspicious around?" he asked into his mike.

"_Yes, Kiko and her boss are here,"_ she said. "_They're peeking over a fence nearby."_

"Kiko and that idiot detective? Why are they here?"

"_I think they're here to spy on Marcile."_

Hei began to think of why those two morons would even bother to spy on him. He figured perhaps Kiko had found someone else to stalk, but what was Gai's reason. Maybe the Syndicate was using them so that one of their own wasn't arrested for stalking.

Whatever the case was, Hei had to make sure neither of them saw him, especially Kiko.

---

Kiko and Gai watched Marcile walk into the apartment complex from behind a fence. Gai pulled out his camera and began snapping off shots as Marcile ascend the stairs until he entered his room.

Kiko thought the guy was cute and he looked like Li, but he was far from him.

"Oi, Boss, are we going to wait out here all night?" she asked.

"Maybe. You can go home, Kiko, but I'm going to take some of your wages if you do," Gai smiled.

Kiko frowned and turned her attention back to the apartment. She couldn't believe she was spying on someone. At least she wasn't clarifying it as stalking.

Moments later, Marcile exited his apartment and as he descended the stairs, Gai took more pictures. As he stepped out onto the street, Kiko noticed his top two buttons of his white shirt were undone. She popped her head up, a little too high for Gai's approval, to drool at the sight of his collarbones.

"So cool," she sang.

Gai yanked her head down, as Marcile looked at the area baffled.

"Anybody there?" he asked.

Gai began to bark like a dog, causing Marcile to slant his eyes at the area dumbfounded. Kiko, realizing what Gai was doing, decided to meow. Gai freaked out and popped over the fence to fall on his back in front of Marcile. Marcile stared down at him peculiarly with his eyes fixed on the camera.

"What are you doing?" Marcile asked.

"Ah, me?" questioned Gai nervously, as he stood while hiding the camera behind him. "Nothing. Just stargazing."

He pointed up at the sky for a second and then ran off. Marcile sighed and continued on his way. Gai rounded the fence to meet up with Kiko, breathing heavily as though he had run a marathon.

"Why the heck did you do that for?" Kiko quietly yelled.

"Me? Why'd you have to go and meow?" shot back Gai. "You know I hate cats!"

"I didn't think you'd get scared if someone pretended to act like a cat! Come on, he's getting away."

Gai and Kiko followed Marcile, neither realizing Hei was on their tail, and reached the Homerun House where Marcile entered. Kiko gazed at the restaurant, her mind swirling with an idea, and then smiled.

She looked back at Gai and said, "Stay here, Boss."

"Wait, what?" he babbled. "Why are you ordering me what to do? We both go in there."

"No, Boss. He's seen your face, and if you go in with me, he'll know something's up. Stay here. When he leaves, take more shots of him."

Gai frowned at her, not wanting to give in to his sidekicks demand, but he had to admit she was right, and he didn't want a sore foot in the morning.

"We'll play it your way just this once," he stated, trying to act as though he wasn't giving into her by fear. "Just to let you know, I'm only doing it to get more shots of him. After this, we do it my way, understood."

Kiko opened her mouth to reply, but a sudden loud growl interrupted her.

"What was that?" Kiko asked startled. "Was that you?"

"N—no," said Gai, a little on edge from the noise. "It—it was probably a coyote nearby."

She frowned at his statement, and then departed Gai's side to enter the Homerun House. Gai aimed his camera at the restaurant and waited. Unfortunately, for him, he didn't notice his own stalker sneaking up behind him to place a knife to his throat.

He tensed, causing him to pee his pants from shock.

"You move, you die," the unknown man said. Gai believed he recognized the voice; maybe he was from a television show. "Why are you following Fukazawa Marcile?"

"I—I was paid to," replied Gai. "He—he is believed to be a—a… spy."

"By whose order?"

"Bakumaru Fujikawa from the government."

"The government? If they think he's a spy, why didn't they detain him and ask him who he is?"

"Because it's against the law to kidnap someone against his or her will."

"So is stalking."

The unknown man removed his knife. Gai turned around to see who had snuck up behind him, but the unknown man was gone. Had Gai imagined the whole thing, or was there an evil spirit lurking around?

He cringed against the corner of the wall while shivering in fear.

---

Kiko sat a couple tables away from Marcile, picked up a menu, and peeked over it to watch him as Rika, wearing her hair in loose ponytails, walked up to him.

"What can I get you?" she asked.

"Ten bowls of instant ramen noodles, please," he said.

Everybody in the restaurant, including Kiko, stared at him flabbergasted. A woman, wearing a red shirt and blue pants with a blue baseball cap, smiled.

"Ten bowls?" chimed Rika. "You aren't by any chance related to Li Shengshun, are you?"

"No," said Marcile, as he shook his head. "I'm from America, and I've never met this Li. Although from what I've heard about him, he seems to be a nice fellow."

"And a big eater," said Rika's dad in the back. "Business was good for us with him around."

"I don't think the young customer needs to hear about that, dad," said Rika. She gave her father the order and walked over to Kiko. "Oh, I haven't seen you in a while. Kiko, right? Didn't you use to dress up in pink a lot?"

"Yes," Kiko nodded while smiling.

"What can I get you?"

"Pork noodles, please."

Rika nodded and gave her father Kiko's order.

After waiting a few minutes, Marcile and Kiko were served. Kiko watched Marcile devour his meal and realized she was wrong: he was like Li. She had found a new man to stalk.

The cap woman stood from her seat while leaving some yens on the table and left the small restaurant. Moments later, the doors slid open to let a teenage girl wearing a schoolgirl uniform enter. She looked over at Marcile, and then smiled with glee while charging towards him.

"Mars-sama!" she chimed.

Marcile choked on his food, as she jumped onto him, and knocked him over. She lay on top of him while hugging him and rubbing her cheek against his face.

"A—Azumi?" he questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"Daddy and mommy went out by themselves. I didn't feel like cooking so I came here to eat. How lucky I am to run into you."

Kiko, unable to control her emotions, stood to storm over to them, and said, "Eh, no way, you like younger women!"

Marcile and the schoolgirl looked up at her baffled.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"My name's Kiko and I saw him first."

"No you didn't, old lady. I've known him for a couple of days now. How about you?"

Kiko stared at her shocked and shouted, "O—old lady? I'll have you know I'm only twenty-four."

"Still makes you old compared to me." The girl smiled.

"Why you!"

Kiko's face burned furiously. Marcile narrowed his eyes at her while titling his head bewildered.

"Do I know you?" he asked. "Your voice sounds familiar?"

Kiko jolted back slightly and said, "Eh no. I just have one of those voices."

She returned to her seat to continue eating. The schoolgirl stood from Marcile, helped him up, and sat at his table. He gave one of his bowls to her so she wouldn't have to order and allow him to pay for the meal. Kiko watched them as jealousy overwhelmed her insides. She wasn't going to lose to a kid.

Kiko paid her bill, stormed out of the Homerun House, and rounded the fence to see Gai cowering on the ground.

"What are you doing?" she question, and then noticed his pants were wet.

Gai opened his mouth to reply.

"Don't tell me, I don't want to know," said Kiko. "Stay here and watch Marcile."

Gai looked at her peculiarly and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Home to get some rest."

"Wait, what? You're going to leave me here all alone?" he said while shivering in fear.

Kiko didn't reply and ran off. Gai sighed, peeked over the fence, and watched the restaurant. Moments later Marcile exited with a schoolgirl hanging onto him, as if she were an annoying fungus he couldn't get rid of.

He followed them while taking pictures and occasionally looking over his back to see if the unknown man was following him. However, since he wasn't paying attention in front of him the majority of the time, he walked into a lamppost.

Marcile and the schoolgirl looked over their shoulders from the sudden sound. Marcile's lips formed into a snarl while the girl blinked at him, stupidly.

Gai, with an imprint down his face, smiled sheepishly as he tipped his hat, and stormed off around a fence.

"Who was that?" the girl asked.

"No idea. Just some idiot, I guess," replied Marcile, and continued to lead her forward.

Gai peeked over a fence as the couple reached another apartment to ascend a few floors, and walked over to a room. The schoolgirl finally let go; looking displeased, and gave him a quick peck on the cheeks to have Marcile blush.

She closed the door in which he decided to head back home. As he walked, Gai continued snapping off pictures until Marcile entered his room. Gai went around to the back and kept a sharp eye on the window until he fell asleep.

---

Misaki entered her apartment, threw her keys on her counter, and sat down on her couch. She grabbed her remote and turned on the television to see nothing special on. She frowned and clicked it off.

She was about to stand, but the folder Hei had given her caught her attention. Misaki had forgotten she had left it there last night after her meeting with Hei. She stared down at it, wondering if she should see what was inside, but she decided to leave it.

Misaki stood, entered her bedroom, and changed into her pajamas to call it a night. She lay on her bed and began to think of Hei.

She couldn't get the image of his expression from yesterday out of her head. She had missed it dearly, and wondered if she could yank it out of him completely.

Her eyes became heavy and she found herself drifting off into a deep dream about Li.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight: Stalkers: Part Two

Past:

Hei and Amber reached the CIA base as dusk settled on the horizon. There was ten acres of barbwire wrapped around three barracks and a dirt road leading to the front gate. Two men dressed in camouflage stood before the gate holding M-16's.

Hei and Amber kneeled behind a bush in the distance to survey the scene. After a few seconds had passed, and seeing no way to sneak up on the men, Hei pulled out his blade for a head on attack. As he made his move Amber grabbed his arm to stop him and have him look at her peculiarly.

"Follow my lead," she said.

Amber walked out from behind the bush, causing the men to train their M-16's at her. They smiled with glee and lowered their weapons, as Amber sexually headed towards them.

"Wotcher, boys," said Amber in an English accent. "I was wondering, could you tell me where the little girl's room is? I'm such a git, I got lost, and I have to tinkle really badly."

"Ah, no problem, miss," said the guard to Amber's right. "We can help you with that."

"Yeah, why don't you follow us into the woods," said the other guard. "There's an outhouse out there we use."

Hei didn't know who was more the idiot; Amber for her crazy act, or the two guards who fell for it and now are trying to get in her pants. He sighed and quietly followed behind them.

"So who are you anyways?" asked the guard to her right. "You don't look Mexican, and you have an English accent?"

"Err, well, I was with these lots on a hike through the woods, and we got separated," Amber lied.

"I can't believe that. You think your friends are looking for you?"

"Yes," said Hei, as he snuck up on the left guard to stab him in the heart.

Amber kicked the right guard's family jewels. He kneeled on the ground holding his private parts screaming like a girl, allowing Amber to place his head between her legs and snapped his neck.

"I can't believe that worked?" said Hei.

"What do you expect with a bunch of horny men!" replied Amber. "There isn't a town for kilometers, and it's illegal for men and women to sleep in the same barracks."

"You got a point, but can I ask you a question. What the heck does "Wotcher," mean?"

"It's a short form of 'what cheers.' It's an English greeting, is all. I just like the sound of it."

Hei nodded, but he was still baffled.

They snuck through the front gate, entered a barracks near the back fence, and carefully headed up the emergency staircase to level four. Their Intel had suggested the maps were on this floor in an office locked in a safe. They stepped from the staircase to enter a long tan corridor. The tiled floor's glossy glow showed Hei and Amber's reflection, and gave a click sound as they walked down the hall.

Hei held up Amber at a corner as a guard holding a rifle approached them. As the guard drew within a few centimeters, Hei chopped him on the throat so he wouldn't scream, grabbed the rifle, and knocked the guard out with the butt of the gun.

Hei took a hold of the guard's legs, and dragged him into a closet to hide him. He and Amber continued their journey down the hall, keeping their ears and eyes open for any sounds or movement.

Minutes later they reached their destination. Hei kneeled before the door to pick the lock and within seconds, it clicked to indicate it was unlocked. Amber opened the door to show a small room blanketed by darkness with a desk standing before the window with paperwork on it, and an old painting of a grassy field in an oak stained frame hung to the desk's right. Amber walked over to it and removed it to show a safe. She pulled out a mobile device to look at a code number and punched it into the safe.

It opened, revealing the map of Heaven's Gate's perimeter and bases. Hei snatched up the files to place them in his bag, and closed the safe. After Amber refitted the picture, they exited the room and headed down an emergency staircase.

As the door closed behind them, a janitor walked around a corner singing Jam by Michael Jackson on his iPod. He walked up to the closet and opened it to see the knocked out guard.

"It ain't too hard to… CRAP!!" he shouted. The janitor bent over and shook the guard. "Hey pal, you okay?"

The guard woke up, looked around startled, and then stood while pulling out his two-way.

"Intruders!" he shouted into it. "We have intruders on the premise!"

As Hei and Amber reached the forest line, the alarms went off as lights shined at the trees.

----

Present:

"Gai-sama, how about you lay on my lap so I can clean out your ears," said Yuzuki's wife. Gai lay on her lap, squirming with delight, as she started to clean his ears. "You have so much wax, how can you hear?"

"Ah, I have good hearing, Madam," said Gai with a smile and his face burning red.

"There's only one way to clean it."

She leaned over to where her lips were centimeters from his ear. He could feel her breath, which made him squirm more. She opened her mouth slightly, making him believe she was going to nibble his ear, but she instead stuck her tongue in it and then began licking it.

"Eh?" he questioned.

Suddenly he woke up startled, remembering he had fallen asleep across from Misuzu's apartment, and he noticed he was lying on his side like in his dream. Gai trained his eyes upwards to see a black and white cat on top of him licking his ears.

"GGAAAAHHHH!!

Birds around the area flocked off from the howl, as the cat started to scratch and claw at Gai's face from being startled. Gai threw the cat off him and tried to leap over the fence, but his foot caught the ledge, causing him to fall forward and plop onto his head.

"Crap, I peed and crapped my pants," he said.

"What the hell is with all the noise?" shouted Marcile, as he opened his window. His eyes drifted down at Gai and frowned at his presence. "You again?"

Gai hopped to his feet and said, "Sorry, I kind of got lost."

He stormed off to hide behind another brick fence while breathing heavily.

"Don't tell me you fell asleep watching Marcile's place," said Kiko.

Gai looked over at her to see she was wearing a schoolgirl outfit with a pair of big-rounded glasses and had shoulder length brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail.

He frowned and said, "Trying to look younger for Marcile?"

Kiko's right eyelid and lips twitched from irritation.

"No! I'm…" Kiko sniffed the air, and started waving at it. "Ew, what's that smell?"

"BO," said Gai, hoping Kiko wouldn't realize what it really was.

"Smells more like you pooped yourself. Anyways, I'm changing my appearance so Marcile and the girl don't recognize me."

"If I had recognized you, I'm sure they will," replied Gai.

Kiko huffed and said, "Just put this on."

Kiko threw him a red suit that looked like tights, and a funky looking helmet. Gai's eyes widened in shock, as he pointed at the costume and said, "You want me to dress up in a Power Ranger outfit?"

"It's a disguise, Boss. They won't know it is you underneath."

"No way am I making a complete idiot of myself."

"Really?" said Kiko devilishly.

She pulled out the white and black cat from behind her back, causing it to hiss and growl at Gai, as it remembered being thrown as though it had been a ragdoll. Gai hopped back while releasing a fart and stained his pants again. Kiko and the cat frowned, and as the odor drifted over to their nostrils, Kiko pinched her nose while the cat started pawing at its.

"All right, all right, I'll do it, just keep that thing away," he pleaded.

Gai snatched the suit, rounded a corner to change in private, and returned with the costume on: including the helmet.

Marcile exited his apartment moments later and headed for the JR Line. Kiko and Gai kept ten meters in his wake. He rounded a corner in which they hid behind it and peeked around. Noticing that Marcile hadn't caught onto them, they continued following.

Two blocks later, Marcile stopped and glanced over his left shoulder. He narrowed his eyes, noticing their presence, and causing them to hop behind a brick fence.

Kiko began to crow, which made Gai say, "I'm a birdie too."

Marcile's left lip drooped into a frown as he shook his head and said, "Morons."

Kiko smacked Gai in the shoulder in which he looked at her dumbfounded.

"You idiot!" she barked in a whisper. "You don't say that!"

"What?" he questioned with a shrug.

Kiko shook her head and began following Marcile. They reached the JR Line to have Gai freeze and back away, and have her stare at him, baffled.

"I'm not going on the train," he stated. "Not in this."

Kiko pulled out the cat from behind her back, as if she had performed a magic trick, and made Gai frown with sweat pouring down his cheeks heavily. Unfortunately, Kiko couldn't see it because of the mask.

"All right, all right," he said.

They entered the train station with everybody staring at him. If they were trying to look less conspicuous, they were far from achieving it. A little boy holding a balloon walked up to Gai and asked for an autograph. Gai complied while pulling out a notepad, wrote on it, and gave it the boy.

The boy smiled down at the signature, as Gai walked off, but the boy ended up frowning at it and said, "Who's Kurasawa Gai?"

They stepped onto the JR line heading towards Shibuya standing a little ways down from Marcile. Marcile sat on one of the sideways seats with his eyes closed and looking displeased.

"Idiots!" he mumbled in English. "Do they think I'm such a dunce that I don't realize they're stalking me?"

Kiko sniffed the air, causing her to frown and realized Gai hadn't wiped his bottom. Everybody else noticed the smell and plugged their nose. A few people stepped away from Gai, as they noticed it was coming from him.

After a twenty-minute ride, the train pulled into Shibuya. Marcile stood and exited the train with his two new shadows. His head slumped in depression from their constant annoyance.

He reached the Foreign Affairs building in which Gai and Kiko took cover across the street.

"Now what, Boss?" Kiko asked.

"You stay here, I'm going back to the office," said Gai, and then started to run off.

"Don't forget to morph into a clean pair of drawers!" shouted Kiko.

Gai tripped, but he caught his balance, and looked back at her while shaking his fist. He returned his attention forward to head back to the train station.

----

Marcile, sitting at his desk unable to type, kept his eyes closed with his teeth clenched. Saitou wondered what was bugging him and stood to walk over to him.

"Oi, Marcile, you all right?" he asked.

"No," Marcile stated. "I got some bonehead wearing a cowboy hat that's cosplaying as a Power Ranger, and his sidekick business woman slash schoolgirl following me around taking pictures."

"Eh, you have a stalker?"

Marcile rounded in his chair, glared up at Saitou infuriated, and said, "_A _stalker? I have two! I could deal with one, but two!"

"Is it that schoolgirl, Azumi?"

"Hardly. At least she intentionally makes her presence known. Those two try to hide, but unfortunately they do a terrible job. I swear; if they are still around when I leave, I'm going to arrest them."

----

Gai made it back to his office to see Bakumaru Fukjikawa waiting for him outside his office. He turned to look towards him, and as he did, his eyelids slanted at his appearance, but shrugged it off.

"You get pictures of him?" he asked.

"I just started my investigation," said Gai.

"We're persistent. Did you snap shots of him?"

Gai smiled while nodding. He pulled out his camera and opened the film slot. However, he had forgotten to put film in it.

"Eh, it seems the film is damaged," he lied.

Bakumaru frowned at him and said, "At least tell me his routine."

Gai nodded again with his hand behind his head and told him Marcile's routine.

"He just goes straight to his place?" questioned Bakumaru.

"Yes," replied Gai sheepishly.

Bakumaru pulled out the check from his coat pocket and handed it to Gai to have him look at it dumbfounded.

"We won't need your service anymore," said Bakumaru.

He walked around Gai and descended the stairs. Gai smiled at the check while entering his office and walked over to his desk to speed-dial Kiko.

"_What is it, Boss? Stuck in your costume?" _Kiko asked.

"No, I'd never get stuck in one of these things," replied Gai. "We don't have to follow Marcile around anymore."

"_What, why?" _Gai told her about Bakumaru handing over the check. _"Already? Tsk, I'm not done with my own observation."_

Kiko hung up. Gai sighed and began removing the tights. Unfortunately, he was stuck.

----

Marcile exited the Foreign Affairs after a long meeting close to midnight, indicating that he wouldn't be entering his apartment until around twelve-thirty. No doubt, the Homerun House was closed. It looked like he was going to have to cook some microwave dinner tonight. He hated them since they didn't fill up his stomach. Perhaps he would get lucky and find Azumi standing in front of his room with a gourmet dish.

At least he had one thing on his side. Only the schoolgirl-wanna-be was following him and not the Power Puff Ranger. He could at least deal with her, and maybe make her jealous if Azumi was at his place.

Marcile stepped onto the JR line and stood while riding it home.

He wished he could figure why those two dolts were following him. Perhaps he should have told Misaki and written out a report about it, but he didn't since he figured they were probably some Paparazzi that were trying to get the latest scoop on a new Foreign Affairs member.

Whoever they were, they were driving him bonkers. He couldn't believe the sidekick woman had hung around the police department all day waiting for him, and now she stood three meters behind him.

The train pulled into his station. As expected, the woman followed him out of the train and down the stairs. He found it odd she wasn't taking pictures of him and wondered why. Had she run out of film? Even if she did she would have split.

He frowned and knew she was a stalker. Unfortunately she was terrible.

He rounded a corner to his home, and as he passed an open area around a brick fence, someone jumped out of the shadows, and pulled him into it. Marcile fought with the person while trying to yell, but with his mouth covered with a rag stained with alcohol he couldn't. He watched his stalker walk on by, not realizing he had been taken hostage, and she continued as Marcile lost consciousness.

----

Marcile woke with a splitting headache. He began to move his limbs, but noticed they were duck taped to a chair. His eyes started to focus to see a chubby man with bald hair tied back into a ponytail standing before him. A few other men were behind him.

"Awake finally," he said.

"Who are you and why have you kidnapped me?" Marcile asked.

"Bakumaru Fujikawa, and we wish for you to join us."

"Couldn't you have asked me that back at my place?"

"Funny guy, hey? If we did you would have said no. Now that we have you here we can change your mind easier."

"How? Since I now know that you can kidnap someone. Hardly. I don't even know who you work for."

"You're a smart individual. Take a guess."

"The Syndicate. But I don't get it, why have those two idiots follow me? Oh now I get it. If I'm reported missing, the police's attention will be on them."

"Unfortunately, it won't work since that stupid private eye detective forgot to put film in his camera."

"They're detectives? You're joking, right?"

"Enough of your gibberish rampage," shouted Bakumaru. "Will you join us? We could use your smarts to capture BK201."

Marcile blinked at him perplexed and said, "This is all for the cause to bring down the Black Reaper? You're insane, and no I won't."

"That's too bad," said Bakumaru, as he aimed a nine-millimeter at Marcile's head. "What a waste of smarts."

Suddenly the lights brightened, causing Marcile and everybody else to try to shield their eyes, and wondered what was happening. After the lights diminished, Marcile opened up his eyes, but he was blinded like everybody else.

He then heard the men around him screaming out in pain and dropping like flies on the floor. The next thing he noticed the duck tape was cut. He stood while his eyes began to focus, and realized his savor was BK201.

Before Marcile could do anything, BK201 placed his right hand on Marcile's left shoulder, and sent a small amount of electricity through his body to knock him out.

----

Bakumaru Fujikawa's head was pounding like a dozen drums, as he started to wake up after being knocked out. He opened his eyes and noticed he was hanging up side-down ten stories above the ground.

He began to scream while rocking back and forth in fright with BK201 was standing on the ledge next to him. A wire wrapped around Bakumaru's left leg, and BK201 holding the other end, was the only thing keeping him from falling.

"A lot of nerve trying to hire a boy to find me," he said.

"Oi, let me go!" shouted Bakumaru.

"Bad choice of words."

BK201 released his hold on Bakumaru. He began to fall and started to scream out in fright as the ground drew closer. Suddenly he stopped half way down the building, and then the wire was retracted upwards. Moments later he found himself staring into BK201's mask again.

"If you want me so bad, use your Dolls to find me and not Kirihara's pet," demanded BK201. Bakumaru started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"You are so naïve, Hei!" Bakumaru taunted. "You think it's possible to find you? Our Dolls aren't advanced as yours, and we have tried so hard to make them." Bakumaru chuckled. "Every time we fail, we dispose of them."

"You do what?"

Hei became infuriated, placed his right hand on Bakumaru's face, and highlighted in blue. Bakumaru looked on frightened as his body also turned blue.

----

Misaki, Saitou and Kouno burst into a rented apartment room and saw a few men and Marcile lying on the ground. Misaki ran over to check on him, as Saitou and Kouno cuffed and checked the other men.

"Fukazawa!" shouted Misaki, as she shook him. "Fukazawa!"

Marcile's eyes blinked open. He sat up straight, looked around the room, and then stared up at Misaki.

"BK201?" he asked.

"We were hoping you could tell us," she said.

"Eh, well," muttered Marcile, and retold what had happened.

"BK201 rescued you?" Saitou asked.

"Ah, wait, there's someone missing. A big dude."

"Can you stand?" Misaki asked.

"Ah."

Marcile got to his feet and checked his balance. Misaki looked back at Saitou and Kouno and shouted, "Saitou, you're with me. Kouno, you and Marcile take care of these men."

They nodded.

Misaki and Saitou ran up the stairs. Saitou wondered why they were heading upwards, but he kept his opinion to himself. They reached the top moments later and exited onto the roof. They saw a plump man lying on the ground sucking his thumb while making gah, gah sounds.

"What the?" questioned Saitou.

----

The Foreign Affairs unit sat in the conference room looking over the file concerning Bakumaru.

"The name his colleagues gave us is not in our files," said Ootsuka. "Apparently it's an alias put on by the Syndicate. His finger prints and DNA doesn't match to anything either."

"Do we know why he has a brain like a one-year-old?" asked Iasi.

"No."

"I have a theory," said Misaki. "But it's only a guess. Dr Schrader had stated that BK201 had changed the molecules in the Saturn System to prevent it from working properly. He had stated as an example that BK201 could change a human into a Contractor or vice-versa."

"Wow, wow, that's only an example, right?" said Marcile, as he waved his arms. "He can't really do that, can he?"

"I don't know, but if he could, perhaps BK201 messed with Bakumaru's mind and turned it into putty."

"Why would anyone want to do something so horrible?"

----

Gai sat at his desk while smoking a cigarette, as he thought about Bakumaru. He had cashed the check without a hitch, but something was boggling his mind. He figured it was about his case being finished in record time, but he let the thought linger away.

At least he was able to pay his rent for the next three months. Although he contemplated on forgetting to pay the cable bill, so that Kiko wouldn't be able to watch any of her anime stuff.

Speaking of the devil, she walked through the door wearing her business outfit. To his surprise, her hair somehow magically had grown back over night to let her pull it back into a ponytail.

"Had enough of the schoolgirl look?" Gai asked.

"What? No, this is more comfortable," replied Kiko, as she sat at her desk.

Gai knew she was lying. He bet his earnings that she gave up on Marcile due to his girlfriend, and went back to looking like that policewoman to catch Li's eyes again. However, his mind was still boggling over her hair.

He stood from his desk, slid over to her to take a hold of her ponytail, and yanked on it. Kiko's head pulled back, as she screamed, "OOUUCCHHH!!"

"Ah, so it is real," said Gai while letting go.

Kiko stood while grabbing her keyboard, and smashed it over his head cracking it.

"They're extensions!" she yelled.

----

Misaki entered her apartment and sat on her couch. It had been a heck of a couple of days. She couldn't believe that Hei had rescued Marcile, which allowed Misaki and her team to find him. She wondered what would be the next surprising thing.

The folder on her coffee table caught her attention. If anything would surprise her, it was in there. Apart of her wanted to keep his secrets sealed up from her, but another part of her wanted to know.

She picked up the folder and opened it. Her eyes widened at the picture that was on the top of the pile. Misaki thought it was a fake, thinking that Hei was messing with her. The picture had been snapped recently due to her father's age, but it couldn't be true. The person her father was talking to was supposed to be behind bars.

Her father was talking with her former Commander, Yoshimitsu Hourai.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine: A Past Threat

A/N: I want to say thanks to FF inc for your review on the last chapter, and on Cosplay. I have seen the 2nd season of DTB, and was a little disappointed with the ending. I thought the storyline was all right, but I felt the plot could have been better.

As for Amber cosplaying as C.C., I know about the anime and character, but I never watched it. I only know about it is because I was fishing around on the internet looking for anime pictures, and I saw her, thinking it was Amber, but I realized it wasn't.

How you forget things so quickly.

--

Past:

Hei and Amber ran through the forest near a river stream as a platoon chased after them. A shot flew between them to strike a tree, as a few other gunshots poured out around the area. A bunch of wave-like arrows soured at them, which made Hei grab Amber and pull her to the ground to have the arrows fly over harmlessly.

They stood and continued running, as their pursers tried to get lucky with one of their shots. Suddenly, the murky soil rose up under Hei and Amber in a shape of a square pillar and over the trees. It split between them to arch off in different directions, and then flung them off as if they were merrily cannonballs.

"HEI!!" screamed Amber petrified, as she stretched out her arm in hopes of grabbing his arm. However, she was too far from him.

Hei tumbled over end while he tried to see if he could get his balance and bearings. The river stream came in sight, as he fell towards it like a rock, and then struck it back first. He cringed from the impact that knocked the wind out of him. He fought against the pain, opened his eyes, and headed for the surface.

Unexpectedly, a man swimming like a fish came at him as quick as a torpedo. Hei dodged to his right, as the fish man swam by, and then turned and smiled at Hei. Hei stared at him astounded to see gills on his neck, webbed feet and webbed hands.

"_Speechless, aren't you,_" the fish man said. _"But the price for me is that I have to live in the water since my lungs can no longer support air."_

The fish man pulled out a knife, as did Hei, and then the fish man swam at Hei again. Hei blocked the attack, causing the fish man to pass by while swimming upwards, and then downwards at Hei. Hei braced against the impact to be pushed down to the bottom of the river.

He touched the bottom; hoping he would have support to push back, but his feet began to sink into the muddy floor bed. Hei grabbed the collar of the fish man's swimsuit, flipped him over onto the ground, and stabbed the fish man's heart. The fish man looked on stunned, as his blood seeped out of the wound. The fish man's lifeless body rose from the ground to drift off into the abyss from the river's current.

Hei tried to yank out his feet, but they were too deep in the ground. He bent over to dig them out, but he was losing consciousness to stay focused. He breathed out his used up air since his lungs felt like they were going to burst. They started to demand air and tried to make him take in something.

He didn't want to drown. He wanted to go back to camp and see his sister again. He wanted to sit across from Amber and have her watch him eat his food. He wanted to see her gorgeous orange eyes again.

As if she could hear his thoughts, Amber dove into the water and swam down to him. It seemed like forever for her to reach him. Once she did, he indicated his feet were stuck. Amber gazed down at them, and then returned her attention to see he was losing consciousness from lack of air. She grabbed his cheeks and pressed her lips to his, causing his eyes to widen in shock, as she gave him some of her own air.

His lungs settled down since they were pleased that they had something. Amber pulled away from his lips, grabbed his spare knife from his holster, and bent over to dig out his feet. Once he was free, they swam upwards. His head broke the surface, making him cough out and then breathe in fresh air.

He looked back at Amber to see she was pleased he was all right.

"Thank you, Amber," he said.

---

Present:

Ootsuka exited the bus and headed towards the Astronomy Lab carrying files in her hands. She walked up to the gate and showed her badge to the security guards. They smiled and ushered her through. She nodded her thanks and approached the lab.

She entered it, walked down the hall, and stepped into the main lab with Stargazer in the center sound asleep. The Dolls hovered motionlessly in their tanks, as their spirit observers searched around Tokyo for anything suspicious. Workers watched the star charts incase a Contractor decided to show his whereabouts.

Kanami was bent over next to a woman ten years younger sitting in front of a small screen with diagnostics concerning Stargazer's brain waves. Ootsuka walked up to them to stand at a distance since Kanami was having a discussion with the young woman. Kanami's eyes drifted over to Ootsuka for a second, and then back to the young woman.

"Keep me posted, Rai," said Kanami.

"Yes, ma'am," nodded the young woman.

Kanami stood straight and gestured for Ootsuka to follower her out into the hall. Kanami leaned back on the wall, crossed her arms, and lifted up her right leg to rest it on the wall.

"It's drawing close again," said Kanami. "The sun's solar flares are almost at its peek again. I think Stargazer-sama is about due to talk soon."

"You think the Syndicate will try to make their move again; especially since they know BK201 is back in town?" Ootsuka asked.

"Of course. They don't want to pass up the chance to rid the world of Contractors and Dolls, even though the majority of them are evolving."

"You think they're evolving?"

"I know so. Just the other day a Doll placed his hand on his glass and smiled as I was walking by."

Ootsuka awed and said, "To think it… eh, _he_ smiled."

Suddenly the screens around the lab and the chart above started blinking, as alarms went off to indicate a star was active. Kanami dashed into the lab and ran over to a screen to observe the reading. She freaked out at the Messier code and grabbed a phone while hitting an emergency number.

"_This is the police department, how may I direct…" _began a voice.

"Listen to me carefully!" shouted Kanami. "You need to get local authorities to evacuate the Ebisu subways."

"_Miss, if you could…"_

"This is the Astronomy lab. I'm getting a reading of a Contractor in the vicinity of Hiro-o Plaza."

"_Perhaps the Contractor is around there and not in the subway."_

"Not him. He's planted a bomb on a subway train. If you don't get the place evacuated soon he is going to blow up all those people down there!"

"_Miss, I think you're…"_

"I'm not over exaggerating! It's KB102!"

---

In the Ebisu subway at Hiro-o station, a train pulled in and stopped. It opened its doors to allow commuters to exit and enter its cars. Amongst the many who had exited was a Caucasian American man. He stood six feet tall, had brown hair in a bowl-style hair cut that the wind had whipped, and hollow black and gray eyes. His facile feature was squared off, and his body was muscularly tone. He wore black tank top, black gloves, loose baggy black jeans that showed a portion of his red boxers, and black boots.

He was successful at planting his signature without anybody noticing. He had many years of practice to perfect his art. As soon as he ascended the stairs, he would set off the explosion and make his grand appearance in Japan.

Unexpectedly, a police squadron descended into the subway. The American stopped, wondering if someone on the subway had saw him highlight in blue. No, it couldn't be since he did it while entering another car. Why had they shown up?

The officer began to speak in his native tongue to the people; making the American wish that he had learned Japanese before coming over. No doubt, he was warning them of a threat of some kind.

After he had finished his speech, the commuters looked around petrified, as the officers gestured them towards the exits. The American glared on displeased, wondering how they were tipped off. Suddenly it hit him. The Japanese had a sophisticated Astronomy lab, more advanced than the United States, and they had identified and located his star.

The American shoved a woman in front of him, causing her to scream out in fright while falling forward, and to give him a distraction so he could get a head start. An officer screamed at him, probably ordering him to stop, but he ignored it, as he pushed a man out of his way.

He looked over his shoulder, as he reached the stairs, and highlighted in blue. The cop freaked out, causing him to pull out his gun and aim it. The American smiled, making the officer look at him peculiarly, and then the train exploded. A ball of fire filled eighty percent of the subway, as shrapnel from the train pulverized innocent people and the police officers. The police officer that was pointing his gun at the American was thrown forward from the shock wave.

The American ran out of the subway, entered a car that was waiting for him with a dark-skinned American behind the wheel, and drove off. The dark-skinned man had his bottom lip pierced, had braded long hair, and he wore a red shirt and blue pants.

The Caucasian American pulled off his right glove to show three of his nails were missing or growing back. He took out a pocketknife, placed the tip under a grown nail, and ripped it off to pay his price. He cringed in pain, but swallowed it while thinking of how many people he had killed.

"Everything go all right, Johnson?" asked the dark-skinned man. "I saw the police."

"They were tipped off," said the American.

"How?"

"Just drive. I'll tell you when we make it back to our hide out."

It took them fifteen minutes for them to reach their destination. They exited the vehicle and ascended the stairs to enter their room where two others waited. One was a short and stubby Caucasian man, and the other was a tan-skinned man with muscles as wide as a basketball.

"How'd things go?" the stubby man asked.

"The Astronomy lab tipped off the cops," said the American. "I think we should pay them a little visit and give our thanks to them."

---

Saitou, Kouno and Marcile arrived at the scene with Saitou parking his vehicle close to the police tapeline. The place was crawling with people checking out the scene, as medics tended to wounded people, or carried body bags out from the train station on both sides of the road.

The Foreign Affairs team exited the car, walked up to the tape while showing their badges to the officer, and bent under it. They descended into the subway to meet up with Misaki near the ticket booth. Medics and firefighters were in the subway screaming orders.

"I found another body!" yelled someone in the distance.

Saitou peeked in to see that the train resembled a crushed can, and it looked to have been torn apart at a connecting section with rubble piled over it from the ceiling. The walls had shrapnel embedded in it with heat distortion, pillars destroyed, and countless bodies lying along the platform or in the train.

"What happened, Chief?" Saitou asked, as he looked back at her.

"I got a call ten minutes ago from Kanami saying a Contractor was active here," said Misaki, and then told them about Kanami contacting the local police first.

"Why would she do that?" Kouno asked. "They aren't as capable of dealing with Contractor as we are."

"I know that, but she thought it wise since she recognized the Messier code."

"Messier code? Who was it, Chief?" Saitou asked.

"KB102."

Marcile freaked out and shouted, "Are you serious, Chief? It's a mistake in her charts, isn't it?"

Misaki narrowed her eyes at him peculiarly while shaking her head. Marcile looked down at the ground, gulping in fright as sweat poured down his cheek.

"Oi, why are you so uptight about him?" Saitou asked.

"He shouldn't be here," said Marcile, as he shook his head. "He can't be here."

"Why?"

Marcile looked over at Saitou and said, "Because he's an American Contractor that blew up a train with my father in it."

---

The Foreign Affairs sat around the conference room discussing the situation at Hiro-o station. Ootsuka was amongst them.

"KB102 isn't a local and he isn't assigned to any agency," began Ootsuka. "He has been listed as a terrorist by his own government, and he is wanted dead or alive with the bounty of one hundred thousand U.S. dollars."

"Eh, what does that round off to in yen?" Saitou asked.

"Around ten million," said Marcile, his eyes focused on KB102's picture on the wall.

"Is that so? Oh wow!"

"Don't get so excited, Saitou," spoke up Misaki. "If anybody in this unit captures him, the money will be donated to charity."

Saitou and Kouno's eyes widened in shock, and then they smiled sluggishly while looking away.

Saitou stared back at Ootsuka and added, "Eh, why does he have BK201's letters reversed?"

"Like latitude and longitude, the numbers are reversed, just like the stars," said Ootsuka. "BK201's resides over China, and KB102 sits above America."

"Eh, so weird.

"It helps us keep track of them easier, Saitou."

"But if that's the case, then how come we can see BK201 star from here."

"They're positioned accordingly to GMT, (Greenwich Mean Time,) also known as Universal time. They stay stationary as the Earth moves."

"Oh, I get it," said Saitou.

Misaki frowned, figuring he didn't understand one thing Ootsuka had said.

"Is there anything else we know about him?" Commander Iasi asked.

"Yes, we know he has three other Contractors with him." Ootsuka hit a button to show a dark-skinned man and two Caucasian men. "IV259, UQ888 and LC667. They're also Americans wanted dead or alive. They call themselves the Contractors' Liberation. Their objective is to annihilate all of humanity so Contractors are the supreme rulers."

"That's a stupid thought," said Kouno while leaning on his right hand. He swished his left hand as he continued with, "They'd have to wipe out the whole world to do such a thing like that. They also have to deal with the Syndicate if they want to accomplish such an inhuman thing."

"Besides KB102's power, do we know the others' abilities?" Iasi asked.

"Yes," said Ootsuka. "IV259 can tell if someone is lying, UQ888 can crush things, and LC667 can telepathically mess with electrical devices."

"Do we know where they are hiding?"

"No, sir. Apparently KB102 had escaped without any police officers able to follow him."

"And what's the casualty at the moment?"

"There were over two-hundred people in the area. Half of them were killed, sixty people injured, and the rest some how escaped without any injury. A majority of the officers were killed while only one of them is all right."

"I had questioned him before my team showed up," said Misaki. "He gave the description of the person who ran and it matches KB102's identity."

"All right, notify all law enforcements these men are armed and dangerous," said Iasi. "If they are spotted we are to be the first to be notified. Meeting adjourned. Section-Chief Kirihara, Detective Fukazawa, I want a word alone with you both."

The other Foreign Affairs exited the room with Kouno closing the door behind him. Misaki and Marcile sat in their seats patiently waiting for Iasi to speak.

"Detective Fukazawa, I'm putting you on desk duty," he said.

"What, but sir!" chimed Marcile.

"You're too emotionally attached to the case. I don't need you blowing off your anger if and when we get KB102 in custody."

"Sir, I know it would seem that way, but I know where my duties lie. I won't go over the deep end."

"I'm playing it safe, Detective."

"Commander, if I may," spoke up Misaki. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"Like you had done during his first week here?" challenged Iasi, reminding them of Marcile's driving experience. "No, it's a desk job for him until the matter with KB102 is over. That'll be all. Dismissed."

Marcile and Misaki bowed and exited the conference room. Marcile walked over to his desk and began typing away. He breathed out slightly; knowing this would happen, but he wished it wouldn't have.

---

KB102 sat in the passenger seat, as the dark-skinned man drove up to the Astronomy lab's front gate. A security guard made them stop and then said something in Japanese. KB102 gestured for the dark-skinned man to take care of their problem.

He highlighted in blue, which caused the security guard to reach for his gun, but his body was crushed instantly. Blood poured out his mouth, ears, eyes, and wherever his bones pierced through his skin. The other guard started to reach for his gun, but UQ888 crushed him before he could aim it.

"That's some gross crap, Picks," said KB102. "Sometimes I wish I had that power. Sometimes."

Picks grabbed a bottle of radiator fluid and took a sip. He cringed from the taste, set it down, and said, "Sometimes I wish I had your price."

---

The charts and screens went berserk. Kanami ran over to a desk and noticed UQ888 was active. Unfortunately, they had traced him close to the lab. Suddenly KB102's star shined on the charts. Her eyes widened at the location.

She turned around and shouted, "Everyone, get out of here!"

The lab workers looked on in fright, but they did what was ordered. As they ran up to the door, it blew inwards, killing a few workers. KB102 entered with his followers behind him and smiled.

"Hello," he said in Japanese.

He gestured for his men to round up his hostages in a circular perimeter, as he began walking around the lab. The hostages were surprisingly quiet while they held their hands behind theirs heads and kneeled around each other.

KB102 gazed up at Stargazer frowning at her, and then turned his attention to the helpless Dolls in their glass jars. He looked back at his surviving hostages, dissatisfied they were Japanese, and they probably couldn't speak a word of English.

"Who is the boss here?" KB102 asked in English. Nobody replied, as he had thought so, or his hostages were playing dumb. "Boss?" He asked in Japanese.

Nobody replied. He grinded his teeth together, pulled out a knife, and picked up a woman to place the knife to her throat.

"Boss!" he repeated.

A woman with light brown hair was about to stand, but a chubby man stood before her, and raised his hand to indicate he was.

The light brown-haired woman looked at him flabbergasted and said something to the chubby man in Japanese.

He looked back at her, and said something in Japanese. KB102 figured he had said, "Shut up!"

KB102 looked back at IV259 to see if he was telling the truth. He shook his head. KB102 nodded at his stubby friend, returned his attention to the chubby man, and placed his hand on his shoulder while glowing blue. The light brown-haired woman gasped, as KB102 stepped back, and glowed blue again. The cubby man's shoulder highlighted in blue, making him freak out while staring at it, and then it exploded. His skin and bone erupted from his shoulder, as his face was blown inwards, and his body fell sideways dead. The hostages screamed out in fright, as the light brown-haired woman looked on horrified.

"Booosssss?" KB102 screamed.

Kanami raised her hand, as he expected she would. However, he looked back at IV259 to make sure, which his partner nodded.

"That you are," said KB102. He cleared his throat and said in Japanese, "Do you speak English?"

"Yes, little," she said in English.

"Good. Now let me ask you. You've been working here a while. Do you think a Doll will feel this?"

He walked over to one of the tanks, put his hand on the glass tube that held a Doll, and highlighted in blue. He stepped back from it and glowed blue again.

"No, don't!" pleaded Kanami.

The tank exploded, causing the liquid to pour out, as the male Doll plopped dead on the floor.

---

Hei and Yin sat in their apartment eating lunch. Hei was on his tenth bowl of rice, as Yin finished her first bowl. She placed her hands on her lap and patiently waited for Hei to finish. He had told her she didn't have to wait, but she found it polite not to leave the table until everyone was done with his or her meal. Hei would have to make this his last serving.

Suddenly Yin flinched. Hei looked up from his food and stared at her, baffled.

"What is it, Yin?" he asked.

She stood from the table, walked over to the window, and opened the drapes to show observing spirits roaming on the electrical wires frantically.

"The lab's under attack," said Yin.

"The lab?" questioned Hei. "Do you know who is attacking them?"

"KB102. He is killing Dolls. They're asking for help throughout the city. They can't get a hold of the Foreign Affairs."

An observing spirit stopped in front of Hei's apartment and stared at Yin, as if pleading with her to save it. Unexpectedly it withered away, indicating its owner had been disposed of. More were evaporating from the electrical wires, as Yin turned to face Hei.

"Hei, we have to save them," she said.

Hei stared at her for a few seconds, seeing fire burning in her blind eyes, and then nodded in agreement.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: A Past Threat: Part Two

Past:

Hei and Amber took refuge in a small cave for the night. The air had cooled to make it harsh for Hei and Amber to where they had to remove their clothes and hang them over the campfire to dry.

Hei sat in front of the fire shivering with Amber sitting across from him. Her green hair was draped over her breast and her legs were crossed. Hei fought to keep his eyes on her eyes, but they would occasionally drift downward.

The kiss she had shared with him had been his first kiss. Those cherry lips were intoxicating, which made him want to leap over the fire and kiss them again while embracing her to fill how her skin felt against his. However, he figured she would deck him—or worse— she would kill him.

How could a Contractor like her have such a sex appeal that was driving him insane?

Amber stood and rounded the fire to sit next to him. His eyes drifted over to her as she looked into his eyes.

"Hei, we're both freezing," she said. "If we sleep by ourselves tonight we might get hypothermia and die."

"Wha—what do you suggest?" he asked, but he already knew the answer.

"We sleep in each other's arms. That way our body heat can keep us warm."

Hei gulped nervously as his cheeks blushed.

"We—we can't do that," he shivered from Amber's comment. "It's—it's not…"

"Hei, it's the only choice we got," Amber stated.

She slid over to Hei to have her hips touch his. She wrapped her arms around him; making him quiver, as his wish to feel her soft skin came true. She laid him down on the rocky surface with her holding him tightly, her breast pressing against his chest, as she looked into his eyes.

He gulped slightly at the discomfort, causing her to smile at him.

"First time sleeping with a woman," she joked.

"A—ah," he said. "S—sorry… Amber."

"I don't mind, Hei."

Hei didn't know how to respond to her comment, but he decided to force a smile.

She closed her eyes while trying to get some rest. He began to wonder if he could fall asleep with his blood rushing the wrong way with Amber holding him like a teddy bear.

Luckily, his body settled down and he fell into a deep sleep.

Present:

Misaki scanned through the reports concerning KB102's attack yesterday, as Saitou and Kouno took calls of bogus sightings of him. She wished people would get a brain and leave the lines open for when a threat did happen.

Her cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse to see an unlisted number. She ignored it and let it go to voice mail. Misaki continued her work and wondered where KB102 would strike next since one hit didn't give too much of a profile on him. She had to look up old reports from America. Unfortunately, for her, they needed to be translated, and she couldn't get Marcile to look at them because Iasi had put him on desk duty.

Her cell rang again. She looked at it to see the same number. Misaki returned her attention to the case concerning the Chicago bombing. So many had been killed and a dozen injured. According to the report, another attack had happened in the city a few miles from the Sears Tower. She wondered if KB102 might decide to hit the JR line near Tokyo Tower or somewhere else that was a landmark.

Her cell phone rang to indicate she had received a text message. Misaki looked at it to see the words, "Answer the next ring, Misaki. H." She frowned at it, realizing "H" meant Hei, and he was the one calling her.

Like clockwork, her cell rang for a third time. She opened it, turned away from the screen, and whispered, "You got a lot of nerves calling me while I'm working."

"_KB102 is attacking the Astronomy Lab,"_ said Hei.

"What? You're joking, right?" Misaki blurted out.

Everybody stared at her baffled.

"_No, it's not, Officer Kirihara," _replied Hei. _"They're killing Dolls left and right. My own Doll and I saw it with our own eyes. Yin's even spying on them right now."_

The phone disconnected. Misaki dialed the Lab's number on her desk's phone and waited patiently. Seconds later someone answered.

"_Hello? May I help you?"_ said someone in English.

Misaki looked over at Marcile and shouted, "Fukazawa, pick up line one and tell the person on it this is the Foreign Affairs, and then ask him who he is."

"All right, Chief," he said. He picked up his phone while hitting line one and repeated the question in English.

"_Gregory Johnson, AKA, KB102," _he said.

Marcile's eyes widened as Misaki gasped. Hei had been right. She hung up her line and looked over at Saitou and Kouno.

"Guys, get your stuff," she said, and told them about her tip concerning the lab.

"The lab is under attack? But that can't be right?" questioned Saitou. "It's got to be a prank."

"It's not. Fukazawa, keep him busy. Ask him what his demands are."

"Yes, Chief," nodded Marcile, as he covered up the phone's speaker. He removed his hand and replied the message while Misaki, Saitou and Kouno headed over to the elevator.

"_What I want?_" KB102 asked. _"It's simple. I want all humans to die. You all do that, and then I'll leave." _

---

Greg stared displeased at the phone he had put on speaker. Again, his plan had been foiled, which was starting to get under his skin, and he wished he hadn't decided to come here to have a little fun. No doubt, the Foreign Affairs would be here within a few minutes with backup.

"Tell me something, copper," began KB102, "how'd you know we were having a party up here?"

"_Section-Chief Misaki Kirihara had received an anonymous tip a few minutes ago,"_ replied the Foreign Affair's cop.

KB102 looked back at IV259 to see him nodding his head; stating he was telling the truth.

"Okay, you're not lying about that. Was it from someone here?"

"_I don't know."_

IV259 nodded his head the statement was the truth.

"Ask her for me, will you!" demanded Greg.

"_One second," _said the copper.

Seconds began to click off the clock. Even though he was a Contractor, Greg didn't like being put on hold. His temptation at blowing up something was growing stronger due to his blood boiling from irritation.

Moments later the copper replied with, _"She said it was an anonymous tip." _

IV259 nodded again, which Greg frowned slightly since he didn't have an excuse to blow up a hostage.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"_Detective Fukazawa."_

"Mr. Fuka. You don't mind if I call you that?" Before Marcile could answer the redundant question, KB102 continued his speech. "Your English is perfect. You must have wasted your youth in some cramped University to get everything perfect.

"Tell me something, Mr. Fuka. Do you like Contractors and Dolls? If you lie, I'll know."

There was silence. KB102 could hear the cop breathing over the phone.

"_Truthfully, you all make me want to puke,"_ he said. _"I would love nothing more for you all to rot in hell; especially you, KB102."_

Greg narrowed his eyes, as a slight smile appeared on his face. IV259 nodded he had told the truth about them. He pulled out a sewing needle and stuck it deep into his forearm to pay his price.

"As they say, honesty is the best policy, right," said Greg. "However, it can also lead to disaster as well."

"_What do you mean by that?" _the copper asked.

"It means someone is about to die."

"_Wait one second. I gave you my reply! Don't hurt any of the hostages!"_

"Don't worry. They won't be hurt, yet."

KB102 walked around the computer screens to head over to Stargazer-sama and placed his hand on the stand she sat on.

"NNOO!!" shouted the light brown-haired woman.

Suddenly a wire wrapped around his wrist. He looked down at it, and then followed the line to see BK201 standing in the destroyed doorway. KB102's eyes widened in terror, as BK201 yanked him away from Stargazer.

"_Hello, what's going on? What are you doing?"_ Fukazawa asked petrified.

UQ888 glowed blue to snap the wire, causing BK201 to stumble back and kneel to regain his balance. UQ888 focused on BK201, determined to crush him, unfortunately he was standing in the liquid from the tanks that allowed the Black Reaper to send an electric shock through it. UQ888 shook frantically for a second before falling forward unconscious.

LC667 placed his hand on a computer and highlighted in blue. Wires inside a control panel near BK201 burst out of the box and wrapped around his body. The wire began to squeeze him, as LC667 smiled while thinking BK201 couldn't do anything.

BK201 highlighted in blue, and then sent an electrical shock into the computer to fry it. The wires loosened and fell harmlessly to the ground. LC667's eyes widened, giving BK201 an opportune moment to charge at him and knock him out.

KB102 grabbed the Black Reaper from behind and glowed blue while smiling. BK201 looked over his shoulder at him, and then began glowing blue too. Greg released him, thinking he was about to be shocked, but nothing happened. He stared at BK201 and laughed.

"Forgot how to electrocute someone?" he asked.

KB102 was about to use his power, but he didn't glow blue.

"It'll do you no good," said BK201 in English. "I stripped you of your ability. You're human now."

KB102 frowned at him and said, "You're lying."

"No he's… not, Greg," muttered IV259.

"No, you're lying."

Unexpectedly the murders he had committed came souring back at him, as if he were being struck by a semi. The terror and torment he had caused ripped through his body like a shredder. The images of the billions of people he had murdered flashed before his eyes, as though they had returned from the dead to seek their revenge.

The emotion was unbearable. He didn't like it. He didn't like being a low-life human.

Gregory Johnson pulled out a gun he was carrying and shot the brown-haired woman. She screamed out in fright, as she grabbed her right chest where the bullet had struck, and fell backwards. Gregory ran for it, as BK201 checked on her.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She looked up at him startled, but she nodded she was fine. BK201 looked back at a young man with glasses.

"You there," he said. "Get over here and help put pressure on her wound."

"Ah, all right," he said, flabbergasted.

The man did so, as the Black Reaper exited the lab to chase after KB102. Unfortunately, he lost sight of him.

"Yin, do you see him?" he asked.

"_No, sorry, Hei," _she said.

---

After hours of filling out a report concerning the lab attack, Marcile was finally able to leave for the night. He had been chewed out from Iasi for getting his nose into the case, but Marcile had mentioned he was ordered by Misaki to take the call.

"That's no excuse!" he had shouted.

As for Kanami being shot, she was rushed to the hospital when Misaki, Saitou and Kouno had arrived. From what he had heard, Misaki wanted to go with her, but her friend had said she would be fine alone. Once the matter was settled at the lab, Misaki had headed over to the hospital to check on her friend. The latest update Marcile had received was that Kanami had gotten out of surgery and she was making a full recovery.

The astronomy lab was a total disaster. The majority of the computer screens and the star chart were destroyed. Over half of the Dolls lie scattered and dead around the lab. They were only at twenty percent running capacity, and it would be weeks or months before they were at full strength.

No doubt, Contractors were going to have a field day with the lab down. As he spoke, the stars above shined to simulate an endless dance sequence.

The matter concerning KB102 had gone cold. An APB had been posted throughout the country, but Marcile knew he wouldn't be easy to find. Eventually he would make his presence know with a big bang.

Marcile entered the somewhat unoccupied JR line, ascended the stairs, and stepped on a train that was waiting to depart from the platform. There were empty seats, but he didn't feel like sitting. The day had been harsh on him, which made him want to settle his bottom down, but he would rather have his frustration consume him.

They were so close at capturing KB102, but close doesn't count. Marcile wanted to blame BK201 for meddling with their affairs, but Marcile concluded that the Black Reaper had been there to help. What boggled his mind about it was why. Why would he risk his life to save the lab? Wouldn't he, a Contractor, also approve an attack on it so it would benefit him from not being caught?

From the stories he had heard, BK201 went against everything that stood as a Contractor. In addition, with Marcile being a witness to it, he didn't understand it. Who was he really? What was he?

The train pulled into the next station and stopped to open its doors. A handful of commuters exited and stepped onto the train. Marcile's eyes focused on a Caucasian American man with brown hair in a bowl-style hair cut sitting down holding a gym bag. He was sweating bullets, as if he had a fever of hundred-twenty degrees.

Marcile knew him to be the American known as KB102.

The doors closed to let the train head off to the next station. Marcile kept his eyes on him, as he was finally able to meet the man who had killed his father in person.

KB102 looked around the train nervously, as though he was expecting someone to walk up to him and put a bullet in his head. As much as Marcile wanted to see that happen, he'd rather see KB102 behind bars, and as a Foreign Affairs officer, that was his job.

KB102 looked towards Marcile, gazed away, and then looked back at him with a perplexed expression.

"What are you looking at?" KB102 asked.

"You're an American, right?" Marcile asked.

KB102's eyes slanted, probably surprised to meet someone who spoke perfect English, and said, "Yeah."

"I used to live there in the suburbs near Chicago. I don't know if you heard, but I'm sure you have, there had been a terrorist attack on a train five years ago."

KB102's eyes narrowed at Marcile like daggers, and said, "You sound familiar. Do I know you?"

"Truthfully, no. However, someone like you makes me want to puke."

KB102's eyes widened, as he recognized Marcile's voice from earlier.

"Wait, you're Mr. Fuka!" He stood and grabbed a woman as a hostage while showing a remote. "I have bombs in this bag, and I'm not afraid of blowing myself up."

The occupants that were gathered in the car screamed in fright, as Marcile raised his hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen; please calm down," said Marcile in Japanese." Everybody did what was asked. "Now if you all would kindly back up into the other cars for your own safety."

They started moving slowly away, causing KB102 to freak out, and shout, "NO!! I don't know what you had said to them, but they stay! Tell them to stay where they are, or I swear I'll send us all to dine with the devil tonight!"

"Everybody stop!" begged Marcile, making the commuters halt and gasp. Marcile looked back at KB102. "Okay, take it easy. Let's think about this."

"Think? Think about what? I don't want to think about anything. I just want to blow things up for my cause! But thanks to BK201, I can't go back to that!"

"BK201? Why would it matter if he interfered with your plans?"

"Because, thanks to him, I am human now!"

Marcile stared on flabbergasted.

"_Dr Schrader had stated that BK201 had changed the molecules in the Saturn System to prevent it from working properly," _he remembered Misaki commenting during one of the staff meetings._ "He had stated as an example that BK201 could change a human into a Contractor or vice-versa."_

It was possible for BK201 to do such a thing, and thinking about it scared Marcile more than being blown up.

"All these emotions," continued KB102, "it's driving me crazy. All those lives I've killed. I can't get them out of my head. I want to die!"

"If you don't want anybody else to die, then release the girl and surrender."

"Surrender? Surrender? I don't think so, Mr. Fuka. Let me ask you something though. You had known someone on the train in Chicago; didn't you?"

Marcile swallowed his uneasiness, as he kept his eyes on KB102, and said, "My father."

KB102 averted his eyes while nodding. He then looked back at Marcile and said, "For someone who had lost a loved one, you're acting pretty calm. I'd figure you'd want to rip my head off. If you ask me, you're more of a Contractor than I was."

The train pulled into the station. The doors opened, causing KB102 to push the hostage into Marcile while she screamed in fright, and allowing him to bolt out of the train. He rammed into a few people, startling them, and then hurried down the stairs while knocking other people down it.

Marcile pushed the woman at arms length and said in Japanese, "You all right?"

"Yes," she nodded, still shaken up.

Marcile ran out of the train, fought his way through the crowd, and hurried down the stairs. He couldn't see where KB102 had run off to, but as a few people screamed or cursed at someone in one direction, he decided to follow that path.

He shuffled and zigzagged through the late commuters, pleased that the place wasn't jammed packed with afternoon travelers, making it easier for him to catch up.

Within minutes, Marcile spotted KB102. Marcile pulled out his gun while continuing his pursuit. KB102 looked over his shoulder, cursing at Marcile's persistence, and ran into the streets to stop in the middle of an intersection. Cars slammed on their breaks and honked their horns in frustration.

"Oi, idiot, what are you doing! Get out of the way!" shouted a man.

"Everybody, get out of your cars!" shouted Marcile. "He's got a bomb!"

The man and everybody else driving hurried out of their cars terrified, as Marcile aimed his gun at KB102.

"Drop the bag and surrender!" demanded Marcile at KB102.

KB102 shook his head, as he raised his hand with the remote in it. Figuring he was going to kill himself, Marcile shot KB102's arm. KB102 yelped from the pain and fell to the ground while dropping the remote. Marcile slowly walked up to KB102 and trained his gun at his head.

"It's over," stated Marcile.

KB102 smiled up at Marcile and pulled out another remote from his pocket.

"Yes it is, Mr. Fuka," KB102 chuckled.

Marcile's eyes quivered in fear while they trained on the remote. He turned around to run for cover as KB102 hit the switch. He made it only five feet before the bomb exploded. Marcile was thrown forward and then rolled onto the ground. He looked back to see cars had been thrown on their roofs or sides and KB102's body parts lying everywhere.

----

An hour later after KB102's death, Marcile sat on the curb holding an icy pack to the back of his head, as a medic looked over him. Saitou and Kouno looked over the sight with Iasi surveying the scene since Misaki was still at the hospital with Kanami. He was displeased that Marcile had been the center of attention concerning the explosion, but he lightened up after hearing Marcile had tried to arrest KB102 from the witnesses' statements.

"You're a lucky man, sir," said the medic. "I don't see any severe cuts, but I'd suggest you go to the hospital and get looked at."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," said Marcile. He stood and walked over to his commander. "Sir, permission to go home?"

Iasi slanted his eyes at him, as he titled his head and crossed his arms.

"All right, we don't need you around here anymore," he said.

"Thank you, Sir."

Marcile bowed and headed off. He decided to walk the rest of the way home since it wasn't too far. He needed to clear his thoughts about KB102's kamikaze attack. Apart of him was pleased he was dead, but now that he was no longer alive, he couldn't pay for his crimes. He had taken the easy way out, and it felt like to Marcile that his father still couldn't rest in peace. However, the situation eased the pain, and nobody else would be hurt or killed by him now.

He walked through a park that was close to his place. He figured; if the real stars existed, this would be a good place to stargaze through a telescope.

Suddenly a woman in a business suit standing in front of a man in a blue coat caught his attention. He walked over to a tree and hid behind it to get a better look. As he focused on the couple, he noticed the woman was Misaki. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize the man.

They were talking about something, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. Although, it wasn't a pleasant one, as he read their uneasy body language. Misaki had her arms crossed with her eyes slanted while the guy tried explaining something with a cool, but annoyed expression.

Who was the guy? Was he an ex-boyfriend? Was he the reason why Misaki had run off early the other day?

----

"How and when did Hourai get released from prison?" Misaki demanded to Hei.

"I don't know," he stated. "I was startled too, but I'm not surprised."

"Do you know why at least?"

"If I was to guess, probably with the events that is about to surface concerning the solar flare."

"I already figured that out. Is there anything else?"

"You're the detective, you figure that out."

"Me? You're putting this on me! That isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair."

Misaki bit her bottom lip in frustration. She wanted to slap him, but she couldn't bring herself to do such a thing to him, even though he was acting like a jerk. He wasn't the man she had had deep feelings for, but for some reason, she still cared for him.

Suddenly Hei's attention shifted off Misaki and looked around the park.

"Yin, is there anybody around?" he asked. Seconds passed before he said, "That detective Marcile is hiding behind a tree?"

"Marcile?" questioned Misaki. "What's he doing here?"

Hei looked back at her and said, "I'm sorry, Misaki."

"For what?"

"This."

Hei placed his hand on her neck, leaned into her, and kissed her. Misaki stared on shocked, disbelieving he had done such a thing, but she gave into the kiss, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Suddenly, as if their emotions had gotten the best of them, their kissing intensified. The years of being separated had flooded their veins.

It might have been a mistake for Hei to kiss her in front of Marcile since she feared he would do an investigation on Hei's identity, and maybe he would ask her other colleagues about an ex-boyfriend, but she didn't care now.

She didn't know how long they had kissed, or if Marcile had left. All that mattered to her was the kiss she was sharing with Hei. Misaki hoped he wouldn't let go of her for the rest of the night.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: Confession

Past:

Hei and Amber made it back to base a couple of days later. They reported to their commander, gave him the blue prints, and returned to their own barracks. Bai was sitting on her bed reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

"Still haven't finished that book yet?" Hei asked.

"I only have a few chapters left," said Bai. "Harry and the D.A. members just snuck into the Ministry of Magic."

Hei looked at her confused since he didn't know what the Ministry of Magic or the D.A. was. He shrugged it off as Bai closed her book to look up at him.

"Your mission went all right, Brother?" she changed the subject.

"Ah," Hei nodded while sitting on his bed. "We did run into a few obstacles along the way."

"Contractors?"

"Yes."

Hei told her about the Contractor who could breathe underwater, and about how Amber had rescued him. He stuttered as he talked about it, making Bai tilt her head at him.

"Her kiss is messing with you, isn't it?" guessed Bai.

"Ah, I can't get it out of my head," replied Hei.

"Why don't you sleep on it for a while, Brother, I'm sure you'll get over it."

Bai picked up her book and continued to read it. Hei lay on his bed and fought to get some sleep. Images of his and Amber's kiss and them lying together naked bounced around in his head like a pinball.

The night continued on, as Bai laid her book down for the night to get some sleep. She was lucky since she didn't have dreams to keep her up. Hei, on the other hand, was tossing and turning.

Around midnight, and no longer able to put his thoughts at ease, he stood from his bed, stormed out of his room, and exited the barracks.

He hurried over to Amber's barracks, entered it, and headed up to her room. He knocked on the door and waited while leaning his left arm against the wall for support. As seconds ticked down with no response, he knocked again. Moments later the door opened to show Amber in a robe.

"Hei?" she questioned, as her eyes slanted. "What are you doing up?"

"Did you feel anything when you… kissed… me?" he asked.

"Hei, I did that to give you air."

"I—I know, but I have to know… did you feel anything?"

Amber slumped as she slowly let out a breath of air.

"Yes. Yes I did," she implied.

"What did you feel?" he asked.

"Hei, don't ask me that. Heading down this path will be a heavy burden for you to deal with."

"Amber, please. Tell me or I might lose my mind."

Amber and Hei stared at each other, neither of them blinking, twitching, or saying a syllable.

"Judge for yourself," said Amber, breaking the silence.

She leaned forward and kissed him. Hei didn't fight it, but melted into it while leading her back into her room and closing the door. He placed his hands on her cheeks to get a better taste of her lips. He began to explore her body, tracing down her sides, and then cautiously running his fingers along her hips. Amber didn't fight him, as she began to play with his six-pack, making his urge for her to grow. She worked her hands under his shirt and ran them up his back. Believing his shirt was distracting her; she removed it to get a better feel of his body.

Hei had no complaints. In fact, he started to loosen her robe, figuring Amber might have a problem, but she didn't, and removed it to show she was wearing pink undergarments. Amber slowly directed him onto her bed, having him settle down on it with his arms supporting him up, and kneeled on top of him.

She placed her hands on his chest, trailed the tip of her fingers between his pecks to give him a slight chill, and then down his stomach to unbutton his pants.

He wrapped his arms around her back to draw her against his body, as she placed her arms around his, and then he smiled up at her to send chills down her spine.

----

Hei lay in Amber's bed while holding her naked body close to his under her covers. He didn't think what they had done was the right thing, but he didn't care. He had deep feelings for her and he knew she had the same feelings for him.

He didn't care anymore if he was human and she was a Contractor. They were living beings and that was all he needed to be with the woman he loved.

Present

Marcile woke up twenty minutes later than he would have liked due to spying on his chief all night. He showered quickly, exited the bathroom while throwing on his clothes, and turned on the morning news as he fixed himself a quick breakfast.

"_The Train Bomber had taken his own life last night," _said a female reporter. _"From eye witnesses, it seemed he took his own life after a Foreign Affairs member had tried to arrest him. We weren't given his name due to his position."_

"_All right, thanks, Megumi," _said the male reporter next to the woman. _"Our next topic, Pandora and NASA had finally reached an agreement to send up a new section of the Space station into space. No word yet on what the device will do since both parties are keeping it top secret. However, Pandora and NASA have stated it's nothing harmless._

"_It is scheduled for launch at Kennedy Space Center in a couple of weeks from now._

"_In other news, a local man, dressed in a full kimono, was arrested for carrying a real Japanese sword at his side. The man had said he was a descended of a proud Samurai killed in the Boshin war, and wanted to walk in his footsteps." _

Marcile looked at the clock to see he had thirty minutes to make it to work, or he was in deep trouble by his superiors.

--

Misaki sat at her desk thinking about Hei kissing her. It had first meant to be a distraction for Marcile, but it had turned into something more. Their desires for each other had gotten the best of them, which would have given Marcile a stage performance, and have him back off slightly. Unfortunately, she figured he'd be asking around about her love life.

Her mind slipped back to the kiss. Hei wasn't an amateur at it since it made her quiver from delight. The thought about it had made her toss and turn in her sleep throughout the night. While Misaki showered in the morning, it plagued her mind to where she had to relinquish her hunger for him.

Unfortunately, it did no good. Misaki had been with a few men before, but neither of them made her have sexual feelings as she was having for Hei. She wanted to arrest him on the charges of interfering with a police officer since now she couldn't do her job.

The elevator door opened to have Marcile charge in the Foreign Affairs department right on time. She narrowed her eyes at him, as he dashed over to his desk to have a seat. He turned on his computer and started his work.

Misaki slowly stood to reprimand him for being on time, but she stopped and figured it best to keep her mouth shut around him. She believed it was wise to keep her distance from him for a while.

She returned her attention towards her work, but her mind drifted off into la la land and thought of Hei's kiss again.

----

Marcile, figuring Misaki was going to rip him a new hole, was surprised she didn't bother to approach him. Had she noticed he was watching her and she was too embarrassed to say something?

No, she couldn't have since he was well hidden and it was dark. The only way she could have spotted him was if she had a Doll watching the area.

Saitou walked up to him and leaned over Marcile's shoulder to pretend reading his work.

"Late again, hey?" he said.

"I was on time," defended Marcile.

"Yes I know, but don't forget the Chief likes us here ten minutes early. I gotta say though, she's been quiet about it. However, I thought she was going to let you have it today."

Marcile stopped typing and said, "Why's that?"

"I saw her standing, but she sat back down. To me it seems she's scared of you for some reason, which is scaring me."

She had seen him hiding, but how?

"Saitou-san," began Marcile while continuing to type. "Do you know if the Chief is dating someone?

"Eh? I don't recall the Chief finding anybody to date," said Saitou, baffled. "Why, you plan on asking her out?"

"I saw her last night kissing a guy."

Saitou jumped back heart-stricken at Marcile's comment. Sweat trailed down his cheek, as he looked back at Misaki. She had her left hand supporting her head while she looked as if she was lost in thought. Saitou returned his attention back to Marcile.

"You…" Saitou blabbered in a high-pitched tone. He coughed it away and continued saying, "You sure?"

"Oh yes," nodded Marcile, "and they seemed real intimate. The guy's around his twenties; had medium length black hair, built well with a sharp face, and blue eyes."

"Eh, you just described yourself."

"No! He's a little shorter than me, more like he's in his late twenties, and his eyes were more like the old midnight blue sky we had had before the Gates appeared!"

"Wait one second?" whispered Saitou. "Midnight blue eyes, medium black hair? That sounds like Li-kun."

"Li-kun? Isn't he the big eater you told me about? Didn't he get sent back to China?"

"Yes, so it can't be him; unless immigrations let him back."

"Saitou-san, don't say anything about this to the Chief, please."

"Why?"

"Because. I don't want her to jump down my throat for spying on her."

The truth of the matter was that he didn't want her to know that he knew she had kissed someone. He wanted to keep it quiet.

Saitou sighed as his body slumped and walked back towards his desk. Marcile glanced over his shoulder to gaze at Misaki for a second, and then returned his attention to his work.

The hours clicked by with no calls of Contractor activity, which pleased Marcile since his mind was distracted about his chief. Even thought it wasn't his business concerning her love affair, something about the whole thing felt wrong. Why would she try to hide it, and why did it seem that they were arguing?

Perhaps they were thinking about breaking up, but the kiss they had shared told him a different story. It looked as if it had been the first time they had kissed, and in their body language, it seemed as though they had wanted to do that for years.

Marcile's phone rang. He picked it up and said, "This is Detective Fukazawa."

"_Detective, there is a woman here claiming to be your mother,"_ said the security guard. _"She says her name is Kiyuki."_

"Yes, that's my mother's name. But she's supposed to be in Chicago."

"_She claims she has come to Japan to visit you."_

"Ah, right. You can send her up."

Marcile hung up the phone and stood while turning his attention to the elevator. Moments later it opened to show his mother. She had short gray hair, long nose, and dark eyes. She wore a blue dress that shaped to her feminine figure she had taken care of.

Marcile walked up to her and hugged her. Everybody gathered on the Foreign Affairs floor looked towards Marcile and his mother somewhat baffled.

He pushed her at arms length and said, "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I come to my birth place and visit my son to see how he's doing?" she said.

"Yes you can, but I didn't think you would show up so soon. You didn't even call me to let me know so I could pick you up at the airport."

"I wanted to surprise you. Can you take a break right now?"

"Eh, well, I don't know. My chief is really strict."

"Oh really, where is your chief?"

"Over there," said Marcile, as he gestured towards Misaki.

Kiyuki walked over to Misaki and bowed. Misaki looked up at her dumbfounded, but she stood to bow back.

"May I help you with something?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you can let my son take a lunch break," said Kiyuki. "I just got into town and I wish to speak with him since I haven't seen him in a few months."

"Ah, sure, it's fine. Take as much time as you want."

Kouno, Saitou and Ootsuka looked at Misaki flabbergasted. Marcile figured Misaki was letting him go due to her position she was in.

Kiyuki bowed her thanks. She and Marcile exited the Foreign Affairs and headed for a ramen restaurant. They sat on stools in front of the kitchen counter with Marcile ordering the whole menu.

Moments later they began eating their meals.

"Still have that big appetite of yours, I see," smiled Kiyuki.

"Of course," said Marcile between bites. "I think it's gotten worse since the food over here taste so good."

"I agree. The food in the States didn't fulfill its full potential."

After finishing their meal, and the chefs and waitresses shaking their heads at the stack of bowls, the Fukazawas headed over to the closest park to sit down in the afternoon sun. Birds were chirping in trees, as people walked or jogged through it.

"You didn't come to Japan just to surprise me, did you, Mom?" said Marcile, as his eyes drifted over to her.

Kiyuki averted her eyes away from him, as she nodded.

"Nothing could ever fool you," she said, and looked back at him. "I'm dying."

Marcile's eyes widened for a second, but then they settled down, as he said, "Your cancer's returned."

"Yes it has, and it's spreading faster than the last time."

"Why are you here? Why aren't you in the hospital getting treated?"

"I am fifty-nine years old, Marcile, and I don't think I could handle another dose of Kimo Therapy. I decided to let nature take its course and see Japan again after thirty years of living in a foreign land. I was born here, and I want to die here."

"Is that the real truth why you never buried dad's ashes so you could bring him back to Japan, and have him buried here?"

"Yes."

"How long did they give you?"

"A month or two. I also came here to get something else off my chest." She looked into her son's eyes. "Your father and I, we aren't your biological parents."

Marcile looked at her dumbfounded.

"I'm… adopted?" he questioned.

"Yes," nodded Kiyuki.

Marcile was lost for words since he didn't know what to say. It wasn't true, was it? It would explain why he had blue eyes and neither of his parents did. A question came to his mind.

"Why didn't you and dad tell me?" he asked.

"Oh come now, Marcile," said Kiyuki, as she stirred on the bench. "You can figure that one out for yourself."

"It's because you and dad didn't want me to go hunting for my real parents."

"That's right. Although we figured you'd put the pieces together since you're so smart. Luckily for us you didn't.

"I'm sorry for deceiving you all these years. You must hate your father and me."

Marcile looked away from her to think on her words.

"No I don't," he said a minute later while staring back at her. "I'm upset you two didn't tell me, but I love you both too much to hate you. You and dad are always and will be my parents."

Kiyuki smiled at his comment.

"So do you know who my biological parents are?" he asked.

"No," said Kiyuki. "The adoption agency we had picked you up at when you were four had said a girl and some guy with red hair had dropped you off. They had said it had been hard for the girl to let you go. They believed she was your sister, and the red-haired man was your father, but it wasn't recorded into your records."

"When I was four? You got me just before that accident where I had lost some of my memory?"

"Yes. You were still young, so we figured it best for you to start over with us."

Marcile looked away from her for a second, and then looked back at her to ask, "Where are my records now?"

"I have them here in my purse."

She opened her purse and handed Marcile the document. He stared at it for a second noticing the name on the file wasn't his.

"Miracle?" he questioned.

"That's what the adoption agency had said the girl had called you when they had asked for a name," replied Kiyuki. "They didn't even give you a last name. Your father and I decided to scramble the words and named you Marcile."

"Oh, great! Couldn't you two at least named me Bill, Bob, or Mike?"

Kiyuki smiled sheepishly at her son.

He looked down at the file, wanting to open it, but he couldn't. Marcile looked over at his mom and said, "You got a place yet?"

"No, but I was planning on looking for a place after our little talk," she said.

"You can stay at my place."

"Marcile, I don't want to be a burden on you."

"You won't." He pulled out a piece of paper and pen and wrote down the address and handed it to her with his key. "This is the place and room. I'll be home between five and eight. If you get hungry, don't wait for me. There's a ramen place not far from the apartment."

"Okay, son," she said in English.

They stood from the bench and hugged each other. They parted and walked away.

It had been an interesting month for him.

----

Misaki decided to leave work early to see Kanami in the hospital. She stepped onto the forth floor and entered room 409 to see Kanami lying in her bed trying to eat her hospital food. She had an I.V. stuck in her left arm and a heart monitor clipped to her index finger.

Misaki smiled at her in which Kanami returned it with a smirk.

"I hate hospital food," said Kanami, as Misaki approached.

"It can't be that bad," said Misaki.

She stepped beside Kanami's bed and took a piece of food to try it and frowned at the taste.

"I told you, Misaki," replied Kanami. "Never get shot. It hurts and it lands you a few days in the hospital. I'm bored to death, they won't let me walk around the place by myself, and there's nothing good to watch on the television. I can't get any porno stations!"

"Eh, Kanami, I don't think that's a proper channel to watch," informed Misaki with an embarrassed frown.

Kanami sighed, and then she stared at her friend with narrow eyes to say, "Did you bring me any outside food, or maybe some reading materials?"

"I got you this."

Misaki pulled out a magazine with a half-naked Gackt on the front. Kanami smiled and took it to look through it.

"This'll get me through the long and lonely nights here," chimed Kanami. She looked back at Misaki to thank her, but she noticed something was bugging her. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," Misaki lied.

"Liar. You were always a poor liar. What's eating at you? It looks like you're love-struck about something."

Misaki sighed, knowing she couldn't hide anything from her friend, and caved in to say, "Li's… back in town."

Kanami's eyes widened, as she smiled with glee.

"Is he really?" Kanami asked in a high-pitched tone. "How'd you find out?"

"He… he sought me out."

"He did! How sweet of him."

"Eh, Kanami, I have to tell someone this. Li and I, we… we… kissed."

Kanami narrowed her eyes at Misaki while smiling devilishly. Misaki knew it was a mistake, but she needed to get it off her shoulder.

"Hm! Anything else happen?" Kanami teased.

"Any… anything else? Like what else?" Misaki babbled.

"Like: did you take him back to your place, or like: he took you back to his place, and like: you two did it."

Misaki felt her cheeks burn bright red.

"Why would I…? Why would he…? It's not an appropriate thing to do!" stuttered Misaki.

"You two are adults! How is it inappropriate?" Kanami asked, as she raised her arms in question.

"It's… complicated."

"In what way? You two do love each other, right?"

"I do like him a lot, and I think he does too."

"So what's the deal? Is it because he's Chinese and you're Japanese?"

"That has nothing to do with it."

"Then what is it?"

"It's just that, we're not there yet in our relationship."

"Oh, so you two have a relationship going!"

Misaki blushed while looking away and said, "Can… can we just… drop it. I already have to worry about Marcile seeing us kiss. No doubt, he told Saitou and gave him a description. I just hope Saitou is too ignorant to figure it out."

"Marcile saw you?" Misaki glared at Kanami, stating she didn't want to continue the discussion. "Alright, alright, I get it. I wanted to talk to you about something else anyways."

"Like what?"

"Do you think…? You think, by any chance, BK201 is single?"

Misaki looked on dumbfounded while blinking at her friend perplexed.

"Why would…? Why would you want to know that?" she stuttered to ask.

"Well, he was so nice to see if I was all right, which I find it weird, but the way he presented himself, and his mysterious face behind that mask, it makes me all queasy on the inside. I can't wait to get home and have some alone time so I can think about him. Maybe I'll scratch his Messier code on the side of my vibrator."

Misaki stared at Kanami flabbergasted with her lips perked. How could Hei have such a sex appeal for a Contractor?

----

Night had fallen.

Misaki drove towards her apartment in the pouring rain, still thinking about the kiss. It was driving her crazier than Saitou's ignorance at detective work and Marcile's long reports put together.

Suddenly she saw Hei standing on the side of the road soaked from head to toe. She slammed on the brakes to skid the car to a stop, and exited it to walk over to him perplexed while getting drenched by the heavy rain.

"Aren't you putting yourself at risk sticking out like a sore thumb?" she asked, screaming over the downpour.

"We need to talk," he said, making her quiver at his comment. She thought he was going to mention about their kiss. "Your father and Hourai met again."

She stared at him dumbfounded, as she became irritated with him. He sought her out to tell her a trivial thing like that.

"So?" she shouted. "What do you want me to do about it? Arrest them both? No doubt they'd get out since Hourai somehow did."

"It's important since I think they're up to something."

"Then figure it out and leave me be!"

She turned around furiously to return to her car.

"Why are you so mad?" he asked.

Misaki stopped, turned on her heels to glare at him angrily, and asked, "Did you feel anything when you kissed me?"

Hei looked at her flabbergasted. He settled himself down and said, "No, I didn't."

Misaki's eyes widened as her heart began to ache at his words.

"You're lying," she said. "I know you had some feelings about the kiss, or you wouldn't have kissed me the way you did."

"Misaki, don't push the issue," he demanded. "I was only trying to keep Marcile from inquiring about me."

"Issue? Is that what you think it is…? Hei!" she spat. Tears formed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks; pleased the rain was hiding them from the man she loved. "Is that all I am to you is an issue?"

"Misaki."

She turned away to leave.

"Yes I did!" he shouted, making her look back at him. "Yes, I did feel something from it, but if we continue on like this, it will only lead to disaster."

Misaki stared at him heart-stricken. He didn't know the pain and suffering he was causing her. She shook her head in frustration, as she turned away while breathing out the bitterness that was eating at her. Unexpectedly, he grabbed her arm and spun her around to kiss her. She fought with her emotions to keep from pushing him away. Her anguish forced her tears to pour down her cheeks like waterfalls, as she sank into his kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

Past Disaster:

Chapter twelve: A New Threat

Past:

A week had passed after Hei and Amber had slept together.

Everybody was gathered in the conference room for a debriefing. It was spacious with fold-down chairs lined up in seven rows. Hei, Amber and Bai sat with each other in the middle row next to Havoc. Their commander stood before them in front of a map with Heaven's Gate on it. There were from one to four sections zigzagging from the northern section down to the southern section.

"We've decided to make our move on Heaven's Gate tomorrow morning," said the commander. "We are going to have you all split up into four groups as the map shows. These are your positions."

He started handing out sheets that had groups and names. Hei, Amber and Bai received theirs to find out they were on separate teams. Hei was in the second group, Amber was assigned to group four with Havoc, and Bai was ordered to be with group one.

"Group one will attack from the north," continued the commander, "group two will come up from the south, group three will attack from the east, and group four will come up from the west. Understood!"

"Yes, sir," everybody said.

"Good, we leave at five hundred hours."

Everybody exited the conference room to a night sky. Hei didn't like being split up from his sister and Amber. He wanted to be with them so he could try to protect them.

"I have to do some things," said Bai. "I'll see you later, Brother."

She took off while Hei and Amber walked into the woods to get some fresh air. Hei sat in front of a river stream, as Amber stood behind him and pulled out a loaf of bread. She then began searching her pockets for something.

"I can't seem to find a bread knife," she said. "Can I use yours?"

Hei pulled out his knife, flipped it to grab the point, and held it over his shoulder. She took it and cut a slice of bread.

"You know," she continued saying, "I adore the smell of fresh baked bread. I put lots of marmalade and whipped cream on it." She stood in silence for a few seconds, as if thinking of something. "Shall we run away?"

Hei's heart pounded at her words since he had thought about it as well. His night with Amber had changed his outlook on Contractors, and he didn't want to be here working for the Syndicate anymore.

"Just run away," she said. "Somewhere far. You, Bai and me. Just the three of us."

He would love nothing more than to disappear with them. Hei looked up at the sky and said, "Where to?"

"Somewhere you can see the stars."

He smiled at the thought.

She walked up to him and said, "Thank you."

Hei held out his hand to take back his knife without looking back, but she instead gave him something else. He looked down at a necklace to see it had two small feathers on the end.

"It's a charm," said Amber. Hei looked back at her to see she was standing in a perfect posture with her arms behind her back. She tilted her head to her right and smiled. "I hope it will always make you smile."

----

Bai walked back to her barracks as she thought about her brother and Amber. She knew they had feelings for each other, which pleased her, but what would everybody else think?

Suddenly someone grabbed her arm and spun her around. She looked at the person to see it was Amber. She had blood running down her forehead, torn up clothes, and a gunshot wound in her abdomen.

She dropped to her knees in which Bai grabbed her to cradle her.

"Amber, what happened?" Bai asked.

"It's… it's a trap," she said. "The mission. I… came back… to… warn you…"

"Warn me about what?"

"The Jupiter System… you must stop it… only you can… with your power… Bai…"

"You're not making any sense."

"I came back a day… I've already fought at… Heaven's Gate. MI-6… the CIA… the Chinese Embassy… they work for the Syndicate… They want to annihilate every Contractor. By tomorrow afternoon… our kind… will be lying dead. I barely stopped time… in time… I came back to… to warn… you…"

Bai's eyes widened at the comment and asked, "How?"

"The black spot from the sun. Stop Armageddon from happening. You needed the… the meteor stone."

Amber glowed blue and then vanished before Bai. Bai looked on perplexed at what she had been told. How could her organization be behind the whole plot?

----

Amber sat on her bed as she thought about Hei. He was an intriguing man who somehow was toying with her emotions. She couldn't explain why, but whenever she was around him, he seemed to bring out the best of her.

She was having difficulty being a double agent for MI-6 because of him. Amber didn't want to deceive Hei anymore. She wanted to tell him everything about her so he could trust her, but he might not after her confession.

She wasn't joking about running away, and he knew that. Unfortunately now wasn't the time.

There was a knock on her door. Amber walked over to it, figuring the person knocking was Hei, but when she opened it, she found Bai staring at her.

"I need your help saving our kind," said Bai.

Bai told her about what she had found out. Amber stared on flabbergasted. To think MI-6 and the Syndicate were working together, making her wonder who was playing whom?

She didn't want to die. She wanted to be with Hei and maybe try to live out the little years she knew she had left with him.

"How'd you find out about this?" Amber asked.

"It doesn't matter. I need you to help me steal the stone we stole a while back," said Bai.

"All right, I'll get Hei to help me," said Amber.

"No, Amber, you can't involve him. He mustn't know about this what so ever. Get Carmine to help you instead."

"Bai, I can't do that to your brother. I—I'm… in love with him."

Bai stared at her with unblinking eyes.

"I know," she said, "but I don't want him getting killed, and I'm sure you don't want that either."

Amber stared at her perplexed.

"All… all right," she said.

--

Present:

Naoyasu sat in his office looking through reports. He was impressed with Detective Fukazawa Marcile's work performance. Cases had been solved with a hire percentage since he had joined. He wondered how a boy like him could have an I.Q. that nearly matched Misaki's, and figured Fukazawa would be fighting for Section-Chief at an earlier age than her.

There was a knock at his door.

"It's unlocked," he said. The door opened to reveal his daughter entering. "Misaki, what a surprise. What brings you by?"

Misaki closed the door, walked up to his desk, and threw down a picture on it.

"This does, Father," she said.

He looked down at it to see him and Hourai talking to each other. He looked up at her with a stern eye.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked.

"It was mailed to me by someone anonymously. Why is he out and why are you talking with him?"

"Misaki, not here. The walls have ears. Meet me at the ramen restaurant around the corner for lunch."

"Make it McDoness."

Misaki snatched up the photo and exited his office. Naoyasu stared at the door and sighed. It seemed that he was going to have to spill the beans about everything.

Two hours later, he left for McDoness. Like clockwork, Misaki was waiting for him in a booth with his own meal. Naoyasu walked over to it and sat across from her.

"Misaki, you need to take it easy with all that greasy food," he said. "You'll gain it all in your hips now that you're in your thirties."

"I exercise, and we aren't here to talk about that," said Misaki. "Now start explaining why Hourai is out of prison."

"You already know the answer to that question, Misaki."

"So why would the Syndicate let him out? Is it because the black spot has reappeared on the sun, and they're getting everything ready to try to wipe out Contractors?"

"Apparently you don't need me since you already figured all that out."

"I still have another question for you, Father," said Misaki, as she pointed a fry at him. "What is your part in it? Are you and Hourai pawns like in that western chess game?"

"Pawns?" questioned Naoyasu while his eyelids rose. "Misaki, the Contractors are pawns, not us."

"So you're more like a rook, knight or bishop."

"Far from that, Misaki. Hourai, Dr. Schrader, me, the CIA and MI-6 are more like the squares, and the chessboard is the Syndicate's little play area that resembles Earth. The higher ups are the rooks, knights and bishops. And nobody, not even myself, knows who the Queen and King are.

"Misaki, whoever sent you that photo is playing on thin ice; really thin ice. Stay away from him or her. And one other thing; we didn't have this conversation."

Naoyasu stood and exited the restaurant, as Misaki trembled in fear. She had no idea the Syndicate held that much control over the world.

----

Marcile walked towards his apartment late at night after a long day at work. Misaki had disappeared around lunch for a few hours, making him think she went off to see her secret boyfriend.

He sighed and didn't know why the situation was bugging him. He should let it go since he had bigger problems. Marcile had pondered on whether or not to look through his adoption papers, which apart of him wanted to, but the other part of him said let it be. That life didn't exist for him.

However, he thought if he needed medical treatment and required the same blood type donor; it was good to have his biological parents in the mix.

Marcile pushed the thought to the back of his brain, as he reached his complex.

"Mars-sama!" shouted Azumi, as she ran up to him from out of nowhere, and plowed into him.

She landed on top and started hugging him and rubbing her cheek on his, as her breasts were pressed against his chest. As many times she had tackled him, he figured he'd be immune to her lovey-dovey mood, but he still kept on blushing.

"I had a hard day at school and couldn't stop thinking about you," she said.

"S—so you've been waiting for me to show up all day?" he asked.

"Yes!"

"Do your parents know you've been here?"

"No!"

Marcile cursed since he knew that was going to be her answer.

"Can—can you please get off me," he begged.

"Yes," she hummed.

She stood up from him so he could stand. He brushed off his bottom, as Azumi jumped on him again to wrap her arms around his neck. She wouldn't give up on him.

"Have you eaten anything?" he asked.

"No," she said, as she continued rubbing her cheek against his.

"Can you say more then yes and no?"

"Yes!"

Marcile snorted. He pushed her off him to have her lace her arm through his to hold him. He frowned while she leaned against him. He guided her upstairs, walked over to his room to open the door, and remembered his mother was present. Unfortunately, he couldn't close the door before Azumi and his mom saw each other.

"Mars-sama, who's the old woman?" Azumi asked, sounding upset.

"My mother," he replied.

"Mars-sama's mama!" She ran into the room, some how kicking off her shoes in a split second, and kneeled next to Kiyuki while bowing. "Hello, I'm Yamani Azumi. Nice to meet you."

Marcile frowned as he entered and removed his shoes so he could squat near his mother. She smiled at Azumi while returning the bow.

"Nice to meet you too," said Kiyuki. "Are you my son's girlfriend?"

Marcile looked at his mother startled, as Azumi blushed from the comment. He didn't find it probable for her to blush since she was always open with her feelings towards him.

"You can say that, Fukazawa-mama," she said.

"Ah, that's good to hear. I was worried my son was gay since he watched a few yoai animes."

"That wasn't my fault!" he said rolling his eyes. "You accidentally bought me the box set of Gravitation for my birthday when I wanted the Weis box set. I didn't want to be mean by returning it, and I didn't want your money to go to waste."

"Heh? You don't like Gravitation? It's my favorite anime. However, I can't buy it. Hey, can you give it to me?"

"It's no good due to international coding."

"Heh, no way!"

Marcile walked over to his kitchen and began cooking up some rice, as Azumi and Kiyuki continued talking with each other. He prayed his mom didn't tell her any embarrassing stories about him.

He finished cooking dinner fifteen minutes later and served the two women that had worked their way into his life. They bowed their thanks and took separate bowls, as Marcile sat to eat his four bowls.

They didn't say anything while they ate. After Azumi and Kiyuki finished their meal, they looked over at Marcile to watch him eat. Azumi smiled sheepishly at his hunger, as his mom shook her head.

After he emptied his last bowl, he picked up his, Kiyuki and Azumi's bowl to put them in his sink.

"So where do you live?" Kiyuki asked Azumi.

"A few blocks over from here," replied Azumi.

"How did you two meet?"

Marcile's left lip curled into a frown, as he told his mom how they ran into each other.

"I still have some of the scars," he said.

"Well, at least everything has worked out," said Kiyuki, causing Azumi to nod in agreement.

"Do you live nearby?" Azumi asked Kiyuki.

"No. I'm from Ueno area, but I moved to America with my husband thirty years ago to live in Illinois. I came back to see how my son is doing."

"Oh, how sweet of you, Fukazawa-mama. How long do you plan on staying?"

"A while," Kiyuki smiled sheepishly, making Azumi stare at her, baffled.

"I think it's time for you to head back home, Azumi," said Marcile. "I'm sure your parents are worried."

"Eh, all right," said Azumi. She stood, looked at Kiyuki and bowed. "It was nice meeting you, Fukazawa-mama."

"Nice to meet you," said Kiyuki. She looked over at her son. "Marcile, you plan on walking her home, right? It's not safe for a lady to go home alone."

Marcile smirked and nodded, as he thought, _Azumi, a lady? Did you forget about how we first met?_

"Come on, Azumi," said Marcile.

"All right, Mars-sama!" chimed Azumi.

They walked over to his door to put on their shoes. Azumi laced her arms through his and leaned against him, making Marcile frown. He guided her out of his place, descended the stairs, and headed to her home.

"Mars-sama, can I ask you a personal question?" she asked.

"Sure," he gestured.

"Fukazawa-mama is sick, right?"

"You noticed her skin was a little too pale. Yes she is. My mom is dying from cancer."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Is she taking Kimo?"

"She doesn't want to. My mom wants to die in peace."

Marcile and Azumi walked across the bridge and through the city in silence. They reached her place moments later, ascended to her floor, and stepped before her door. She let go and turned to face him.

"Thanks for cooking for me," she bowed. "I never tasted rice as good as that before."

"Thank you, I'm glad you liked it," he said.

She smiled at him while closing her eyes and tilting her head. Azumi reopened them and, to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She pulled away from him while blushing, and turned around to open her door and enter her home.

Marcile stared at the door baffled, touched his lips with his index finger, and pondered on the kiss. He wasn't shocked she had done that, and he was expecting her to do it whenever she jumped on him, but she had waited until he was in front of her house again. Her kiss wasn't rough as he thought it would be, but tender.

He shook away the thought and headed back home.

---

Misaki returned to her apartment to see Hei sitting on her couch watching the television again. She ignored it as she placed her purse on her kitchen counter and then sat next to him.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"My cable is down," replied Hei. "I'm sorry, I'll leave."

Hei started to get up as Misaki gestured for him to stay.

"No, it's all right, but you could have at least made some dinner," said Misaki. Hei frowned at her comment. "I talked to my father about Hourai,"

Hei looked at her as she focused her eyes on him.

"You didn't tell him where you got the pictures, right?" he asked.

"And be charged with aiding and embedding a criminal? Of course not, Hei."

"What did he say?"

Misaki told him about her and her father's conversation.

"You should have let me kill him when I had the chance," said Hei.

"I asked you not to kill him," defended Misaki. "It was your choice to kill him or not, and I'm glad you didn't."

Hei, unable to deal with the conversation, stood to walk towards the balcony, and said, "And I wish I hadn't listened."

Misaki stood from her couch, rounded on Hei to stop him, and looked into his eyes.

"That's a lie," she said.

"Don't think just because we kissed you know me all of a sudden," stated Hei. "You know nothing of me."

"Then why don't you show me who you really are instead of being someone you're not?"

"This is who I am. I'm a Contractor who deceives humans."

"You're not just a Contractor. You don't have a price to pay and you act on your emotions. You're both a Contractor and human, Hei."

Before Hei could respond, Misaki kissed him. He sank into it for a second, but he regained his senses, and pushed Misaki away to jump out of her window. She stared at it for a second, and then turned away as she tried to fight back her tears. Unfortunately, one escaped.

---

A man with long black hair, part of it dyed red along the back, stood in a vacant subway waiting for someone.

"You have the information I want?" somebody asked from behind.

The black-haired man turned around to see an indigenous Japanese man in his late thirties. He wore a white and black shirt with a skull on it, black baggy pants that touched the ground, and thick rectangular glasses. His short dark brown hair was feathered back with a few strands hanging before his brown eyes. A half smoked cigarette hung loose in his mouth.

"I have some information," he said, and threw him a folder.

The thirty-year old man snatched it, as if he was catching a baseball, and opened it to pull out a file. He looked at it for a few seconds.

"Miracle? She named him under an assumed name as Miracle?" he said. "No wonder I couldn't find him."

"Unfortunately there's nobody with that name in America with the description you gave me," said the black-haired man.

"Of course not. If the brat were picked up, his adopted parents would have changed it. Wait one second; the age is wrong! He's supposed to be four years old five years ago, which will only make him nine!"

"Ho—hold on one minute! I followed your description to the T!"

"I don't think so."

The thirty-year old man highlighted in blue as his eyes sparkled red. The black-haired man felt him losing control of his body. He turned around and walked towards the platform.

"Please, don't do this, I'm begging you!" shouted the black-haired man.

Lights shined from deep in the tunnel, as a horn echoed out of it. The black-haired man sweated heavily and his heart pounded against his chest like a drum. The train came barreling into the station, and while it approached the black-haired man, the Japanese man forced him to jump in front of the train. The driver looked on scared as the black-haired man was struck by it.

His bones were broken in so many places, and then ripped to pieces while his blood spattered all over the train. To his luck, he only felt it for a split second.

The Contractor smiled with glee as he settled down and exited the subway.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen: A Passing and Mourning

Past:

Hei stood amongst a few Contractors and humans as they gazed at the fence surrounding Heaven's Gate. Hei hadn't been this close to it, and he was astounded at the sight. The forest was still intact, but smog like substance filled the perimeter, and it was said that in the center of the mayhem was a huge crater. However, nobody had made the venture to it since the area supposedly had unexplained and invisible doorways that took him or her somewhere else.

Men at the gate stood guard in front of a two-story building.

As he waited for the orders to be given out, all Hei could think about was his sister and Amber. He hoped they would be all right after today's event, and if they were successful at ending this trivial war, maybe they could live together somewhere in peace.

However, his mind bugled at what Amber had said to him before they departed.

"_Hei, if things go wrong, save yourself."_

He knew she was concerned for his well being and being rational, but it felt as though she knew something, and she was keeping a secret from him.

"We're moving in," said the leader of his group.

They began to head forward with Hei watching their backs. The men scanned the forest for any threats, but there was none.

Suddenly a bazooka was fired over the fence. Hei rolled out of the way, as a few other men did before it struck the ground. A half dozen men screamed out in pain and were thrown sideways or backwards from the blast; while the rest of the men, including the leader, were killed instantly.

A dozen men dressed in camouflage armor charged out of the building, ran through the gate, and took cover behind stacks of sandbags. They aimed their guns at Hei's platoon and began firing.

"It's an ambush!" shouted Hei.

The remaining Syndicate members took cover behind trees or cut down logs and returned fire. A Contractor threw a few rocks towards a couple of camouflage men to blow them to bits. One of Hei's comrades was gun down, as another one of his teammates killed the enemy. Hei hooked his knife to his wire and threw it to impale it in a camouflaged man's heart. He ripped his knife out to swirl it into another enemy.

Hei wanted to call the other groups and warn them, but the radio was with one of the men who had been blown to bits. He didn't want to leave his platoon, but his heart ached to know if Bai and Amber were all right, and to ask Amber if she knew this would happen.

He stood from his hiding spot and ran northwest.

"Hey, Hei, get back here!" shouted someone, but then he was gun down.

He ran, as fast as he could, glad that he didn't have someone following him.

Fifteen minutes into the run, he heard gunfire and explosions west of his position. He knew Amber's group was under attack. He hurried over to it, and as he drew closer, he saw a camouflage man aiming his gun at Amber's back. Hei threw his knife, having it impale the man's back. He cringed from the pain while firing upward, and then fell forward dead. Amber looked over her shoulder at him surprised.

"You all right?" Hei asked, as he came up to her.

"Yes," she nodded. "It seems they were waiting for us."

Hei felt a slight pinch in his heart from Amber's comment, believing her words had a false statement to them, and he wanted to confront her about it, but he instead said, "The same thing with my group. We need to go find Bai."

"All right."

"I'm coming with you lot," said Havoc in English, as she walked up to them.

She had blood seeping down her mouth, which told Hei she had used her power, and she had to pay her price.

"Let's go," said Hei.

--

Present:

Hei entered his hiding place to see Yin sitting on a chair with her feet in a pan of water. Her observer spirit appeared in its human form, as Yin turned her head to face Hei.

"You love her, don't you, Hei?" she asked.

Hei narrowed his eyes at her and said, "Has anybody told you you're a peeping Tom?"

"Yes, Mao. I was watching Kirihara Misaki shower."

Hei's eyelids perked inwards at her comment, but then he frowned while saying, "Why would you do a thing like that?"

"I saw you and her in the bathroom stall at the Chinese restaurant. I was curious."

"Curious about her in what way?"

"Hei, I know you like her, I could tell it was killing you not to see her. Now you two are around, you keep pushing her away. Are you afraid of being betrayed? Amber told me what had happened at Heaven's Gate. She did that to protect you under Bai's request."

"I know, Yin," said Hei, as he sat on his couch and laid his arms along the back. "Unfortunately it's more than that. Misaki is a cop and I'm a wanted criminal. We can't coexist together. It's not logical."

Yin stared at him for a second.

"My apologies, Mr. Spock," said Yin.

Hei sighed at her. Not only had her body grown, but her mind and personality had evolved as well.

---

Misaki, Kouno, Saitou and Marcile stood on a platform in a subway observing the crime scene. Since engineers worked around the clock, the Astronomy lab was able to report Contractor activity and report that QU025 had been active in the area. However, the lab was running only at forty-five percent capacity.

Moments later, they had received word of someone committing suicide.

Kouno, Saitou and Marcile were talking with the passengers while Misaki took the conductor's testimony, as paramedics handled the mangled body.

"I slammed on the brakes, but it had been too late," the conductor said. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to run him over. Are you going to arrest me?"

"No, but you will be ordered to take a drug test and will be suspended for the time being. Was there anybody else on the platform?"

"Yes, there was."

"Was he glowing blue?"

"I don't know." The conductor shook his head. "My attention was on the victim. I won't be able to sleep at all tonight."

"Thanks for your cooperation, sir." Misaki bowed. She walked over to her men, as they finished asking witnesses questions. "You guys get anything?"

"Yes, I did," said Saitou. "A man said he saw some guy highlight in blue as the train passed. When he exited the car, he didn't see him. I asked if he could give a description, but he said things happened so fast he couldn't."

"The young lady I talked to gave me a description, and her phone number," said Kouno.

"Kouno, this is no time to act like Don Juan," said Misaki displeased. "What did he look like?"

Kouno nodded and gave the description. Misaki looked over at Marcile for anything else.

"Basically the same thing Don Juan got; except a number, and my witness said he was glowing blue. He even got a picture of him with his phone. I had him E-mail me it."

Marcile opened his phone and showed it to Misaki. She smiled and looked back at him to say, "Send it to Ootsuka so she can put out an APB on him."

"Already done, Chief."

"All right, there's nothing else for us here. Let's get back to HQ."

"Yes, Chief," her men said.

Marcile's phone rang. He opened it up and said, "This is Marcile Fukazawa. Misuzu-san? Wait what?" He stood in silence as he listened to his landlady. "My mom was rushed to the hospital! Which one?" He was quiet again. "Thank you." He hung up the phone and looked at Misaki. "Chief, can you do me a favor?"

---

Marcile barged into the hospital with Misaki trailing and ran over to the counter to speak with a young nurse.

"What room is Fukazawa Kiyuki in?" he asked.

"Are you a relative?" the nurse asked.

"Yes, I'm her son."

"Second floor, room 201."

"Thanks."

Marcile turned away from the counter, headed over to an elevator with Misaki, and hit the up button to have the door spring open. They entered it with Marcile hitting the second floor button and rode it up. Marcile and Misaki exited the elevator to hurry towards the room. Once they reached it, Misaki stood back.

"I'll wait outside," she said.

Marcile bowed and entered the room. His mom lay on a bed wearing a hospital gown with I.V. in her arms, and an oxygen tube that was stuck in her nose. She smiled at him, as he rounded the bed to kneel on the right side, and took her hand.

"I thought they gave you a month or two, not a week," said Marcile.

"It seems the cancer is spreading faster than they thought," she said with a groggily voice. "They'd be surprised if I make it through the night."

"The—the night?" Marcile questioned, as his eyelids rose. "No, Mom, that's not true, is it?"

"I'm sorry, Marcile, it is."

"But I don't want you to die."

"Marcile, its human nature, and we as humans can't alter it. I've made my peace, and I've accepted death."

"Mom, I wouldn't know what to do without your guidance?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll figure it out. The only thing I regret is not seeing my future grandchild."

Marcile smiled at her depressingly, as tears formed in his eyes. He kissed his mom's hand and laid his head on her bed. He didn't move from the spot all night.

At three in the morning, his mother passed away in her sleep.

---

Four days later:

The Foreign Affairs unit gathered in a cemetery. Marcile stood in the front row presented in a white button up shirt and tan kaki pants with Azumi beside him wearing a purple and black dress.

Marcile walked forward with his parent's urns in his hands. He squatted before a small hole and laid them in it. He took a hold of some dirt and poured it into the hole. He stood and stepped back, as a couple of men dumped the rest of the dirt in the hole. Once it was done, Marcile lit some essence and settled them in the ground before his mother and father's gravestone. He kneeled before it and clapped his hands together in a prayer gesture.

He didn't move, as he held his pose. Moments later, he stood and backed away from the grave.

"Sayonara, Mother," he whispered.

---

Marcile returned to his apartment with Azumi. The Foreign Affairs had given him a week off so he could coupe with the loss of his mother. They sat against the back wall with Azumi cuddling him.

Her little crush moments she had had some how vanquished after their kiss. She hadn't hounded him as much anymore, and he had been pleased to have her by his side at his parent's funeral.

"Are you going to be all right, Mars-kun?" she asked.

"Ah," he said, as he didn't believe his own words.

"Liar. You can cry, you know. Nobody will think less of you if you do. They'll think less of you if you don't."

"I know, but I want to show her and my father I'm strong enough to make it on my own."

Azumi pulled away and kneeled in front of him to stare harshly in his eyes.

"I think they already know that, as do I."

Marcile gazed into her eyes, as he pondered on her words. He averted them and thought how a girl two years younger than he, who only had a quarter of his I.Q., could show him up.

She grabbed his cheek to have him look into her eyes, and then she kissed him. With her tender lips touching his, it caused tears to form in his eyes and made them stream down his cheeks.

Azumi pulled her lips away from his and comforted him so he could cry out his pain.

---

A few days later, Marcile returned to work and took his seat with everybody staring at him. He ignored them and began working. He needed to get his mind off his mother and he figured work was the cure to his problems.

Ten minutes into his work, Misaki walked up to him.

"A few words alone with you, Detective Fukazawa," she said.

Marcile nodded and stood to follow her into the conference room. She closed the door behind them and stared at him with concerned eyes.

"You all right?" Misaki asked.

"Ah, I'm fine," he said.

"I know it must be hard for you. I lost my mother when I was young."

"It hurts, but I know I have to move on. It's just that, she had told me something, and I can't stop thinking about it."

"Whatever it is I'm sure you can get through it. However, I need your focus here and now if you want to work."

"Ah, sure. Can I ask your advice, Chief?" Misaki nodded to his request. "If—if commander Kirihara Naoyasu had said to you that you were adopted, how—how would you feel?"

"Adopted?" Misaki questioned, as her eyes slanted. "You're adopted?"

"Yeah, I just found out that after my mom arrived in Japan."

He told her what his mother had told him. Misaki was shocked and started thinking of whom his real parents were. The thought she got was that he might be Hei's brother, but she kept it to herself.

"I would be surprised, and I most likely would be angry with them for not telling me," said Misaki.

"So I should hate my mom?" he questioned.

"It's up to you, but if that question keeps you thinking about your adoption, then I think you need to accept what they did or not."

Misaki exited the room to leave Marcile to his thoughts. He shook them away and returned to his desk.

A few hours later, he had to return to the conference room with the rest of the unit. Iasi sat before everyone with a picture of the Contractor who had attacked a man last week.

"With the picture Marcile had gotten from a witness, we have been able to identify QU025's identity and have more Intel on him," said Iasi. "He is a former CIA agent who went by the codename Ohio, but now he goes by the name of Tenchu."

"Heaven's punishment?" questioned Marcile. "Who does he think he is, Rikimaru?"

"I see you're doing better, Detective Fukazawa." Iasi said at Marcile. "Keep the jokes to yourself next time." He looked at everybody. "The CIA had claimed he had become a double agent for the Syndicate after Heaven's Gate, but the truth is that he went rogue.

"He had also been reported being seen with February a couple of years before the Hell's Gate incident, but it was never confirmed. He now leads a group that calls themselves the Subvert Nationality, and they want to annihilate all of humanity so that their kind can be supreme rulers."

"Oh great, another lunatic like KB102," said Kouno.

"We have reports that QU025 and KB102 had done some hits together in America after the Hell's Gate incident five years ago," said Ootsuka. "However, QU025 went on his own."

"Why?" Marcile asked."

Ootsuka shrugged.

"What about the guy who was killed by QU025?" Misaki asked.

"James Dean." Ootsuka clicked a button to show a picture of the dead man. "He use to work for the FBI, but he was let go due to trying to prove the CIA had blown up their Embassy here in Japan. In the reports I gathered, he's really intelligent, and we believe he might have been meeting with Tenchu to give him some information on something."

"Like what?" Marcile asked.

"We don't know."

"Can you take a guess?"

"Detective Fukazawa, this department doesn't take guesses or assumptions," stated Misaki. "We gather evidence and then put the pieces together; understood!"

"Yes, Chief. Sorry for over stepping my boundaries."

"Is there anything else?"

"No," said Ootsuka, as she shook her head.

"All right, meeting adjourned," said Iasi.

The Foreign Affairs stood, exited the office, and sat at their desks.

Two hours later, a call came in of a Contractor sighting. Misaki ordered Saitou and Kouno to check it out while she and Marcile stayed behind incase another call came in.

However, there wasn't, as Saitou and Kouno returned empty handed and smelt of garbage.

"What happened?" Misaki asked.

"Well, we were chasing the Contractor on the roof," said Saitou. "We were closing in on him, but he made the ground slippery on us, and well, we slipped off the building and into a garbage can."

Misaki sighed at their clumsiness. She looked back at them and said, "You two didn't break anything, did you?"

"No, Chief, just got lucky the trash broke our fall."

"Good to hear it. Now go wash up."

"All right, Chief."

They did so and returned twenty minutes later to fill out a report.

The day ticked by without anymore incidences.

As night settled over the city, the Foreign Affairs left for the night. Misaki decided to drive Marcile home. They descended into the garage, entered her Porsche, and drove off.

"I appreciate this, Chief," he said, as he looked over at her.

"It's no problem," said Misaki. "I just wanted to make sure you made it home safely."

Marcile smiled and relaxed in the seat. He thought of asking her about the man she had kissed, but he figured it was none of his business and decided to let it go. He instead looked out the window to take in the city.

They arrived at his place fifteen minutes later.

He exited her car and said, "Thank you, Chief."

Misaki bowed at him while he closed the door. As she drove down a few blocks, she realized a few of his hair strands had been left behind. She pulled over to gather the hairs in a small envelope she had in her glove compartment, and placed it in her purse. She pulled back into traffic to head home.

Once she made it to her apartment complex, Misaki ascended to her room and entered it to find Hei present.

She smiled, but she found herself frowning, and asked, "What do you want?"

"I was wrong a week ago," he said.

"About?"

"About us and how I feel about you. I do love you, but I'm afraid of what will happen to us if we continue our relationship."

"The way things are right now, Hei, it doesn't feel like we have one."

"I know."

Hei turned to leave, but Misaki grabbed his arm to stop him. He looked back at her.

"Please, stay with me," she begged. "Just for tonight."

Hei stared at her dumbfounded.

---

Marcile sat down to eat his food he had cooked. Unfortunately, he wasn't hungry, even though his stomach was growling louder than a lion's roar.

He noticed his adoption file was lying on his table, which made him grab it, and opened it. There was a picture of the girl standing next to him smiling. She had green hair, orange eyes, and she wore a baseball cap with "BY" on it. He also noticed the red-haired man in the background looking depressed. His left eye was closed, as if someone had poked it.

Was the adoption agency sure that the red-haired man was his biological father? He and the girl weren't Asian and they didn't have the same eye color as his. Perhaps he and the girl had two different mothers.

He scrounged around for their names but there weren't any. Marcile closed the file and flopped on his back. Instead of answering his questions, it gave him more. He felt like he was in an anime with a bunch of twist and turns and he wished the writer would get to the plot.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen: Betrayal

Past:

Hei, Amber and Havoc arrived at the northern quadrant to see Contractors and humans lying side-by-side dead, or trying to fight off the ambush they had been suckered into fighting. Havoc ran into the mist of the battle. She glowed blue and made a vacuum-like hole to suck in opposing troopers.

Hei and Amber trotted around the battlefield, killing the enemy if they got in their way. Hei threw his blade over end to have it impale a soldier, as Amber fired the assault rifle she held to exterminate three men.

"Do you see my sister, Amber?" Hei asked.

"No!" shouted Amber.

They continued attacking the enemy, as Hei fought in close combat with a soldier, and snapped his neck while Amber watched his back.

As soon as the enemies were dealt with, the remaining Syndicate men regrouped. Hei, Amber and Havoc joined them.

"Have you seen my sister?" Hei asked.

"She was fighting with a group east of here," said a man.

Hei, Amber and Havoc stormed off towards it.

They reached the vicinity to see Bai lying in the mud with two-dozen men floating dead in a swamp. Hei ran over to her and cradled her in his arms. Bai had blood pouring down her forehead and between her eyes. He checked for a pulse and was pleased to find one.

Moments later she opened her eyes and said, "Brother, you're all right."

"I should be the one to say that, Bai," said Hei, and helped her stand. "What happened? Did you electrocute them?"

"No, one of our own men blew himself up to take out the enemy. I was caught in the blast."

"How about we get out…"

Suddenly Havoc struck Hei in the back of the head with the butt of a rifle, and fell forward onto his stomach. His vision became hazy, as blood poured down into his eyes. He looked up at his sister who was staring at Amber. Amber walked up to his sister, holding the meteor shard they had stolen together, and handed it over to Bai.

Hei felt betrayal overwhelm him from the woman he had fallen in love with. How could she steal the shard, knowing the consequences, and why was she handing it over to his sister. Were they planning something diabolical, and had they both deceived him the whole time? Was it Amber who had set up the ambush?

Bai looked over at him; showing no signs of remorse or regret before Hei passed out.

Present:

The sun peered through the seam in Misaki's blinds to shine onto her eyelids. They twitched, making her turn on her side while keeping her naked body under the covers for warmth. She reached out for Hei, but she felt her sheets instead.

Misaki slowly opened her eyes to see she was alone in her bed. She sat up while holding her covers over her and gazed around her room to see his clothes had vanished from the floor as well. Misaki stood from her bed and walked into her living room; hoping to see him on her couch watching television, but it lay unoccupied.

She bit her bottom lip to hold back her tears since she knew this would happen. However, one had escaped her right eye. Misaki wiped at it and walked into her shower to rinse off the long and wonderful night away.

As she stood in her shower, her mind drifted on how romantic Hei had been. In her opinion, she would think a Contractor would play it rough in bed, but Hei had been gentle with her.

To her, it seemed he had done it before, which made her slightly jealous since he was her first. Misaki was so uptight with her work she didn't think she had time for a relationship, and she ended up pushing men away from her. Although, when she met Hei as Li, something about him changed her mind about her life.

She exited her shower, wrapped a towel around her, and returned to her room to dry her hair. Once she finished with that, she dressed in a clean suit, and placed on her glasses. Misaki walked over to her bed to lie on it and take in Hei's scent before she headed off to work.

Suddenly she noticed black hair on her pillow. A thought crossed her mind, wondering if she should do it behind Hei's back, but her curiosity swallowed up her rational being. She picked up the hairs to put them in an envelope and placed them in her purse next to Marcile's hairs.

Misaki exited her apartment, descended to the garage, and entered her car to drive off towards her work. While she drove, her thoughts continued to linger on her night with Hei. Would it be their only time together, or would they have a night like that again? She hoped the latter.

She pulled into the Foreign Affairs garage moments later. She exited her car and ascended to the science lab. She located an elegant woman and walked up to her.

"Hello, I'm Section-Chief Kirihara Misaki," she said. "I need you to do a comparison on these hairs." Misaki handed over both hairs. "I'd like you to only report to me about the results."

"Hai," the scientist nodded, and took the hairs.

Misaki headed up to the fourth floor and sat down at her desk to begin her work. Her mind returned to Hei. Somehow, he had put a curse on her, as if to make her thoughts dwell on him.

Marcile walked up to her desk and stood at attention. She looked up at him baffled for his military pose.

"What is it, Marcile?" she asked.

"I was wonder, could I have the afternoon off for Azumi's party tonight?" he asked.

Misaki, not caring about the request, looked away and said, "Go ahead." She wanted to get her thoughts back on Hei.

"Really? Thank you so much, Chief!" he chimed, and ran back to his desk.

Later on in the day, Misaki forgot her promise to Marcile as she left to go see Kanami for lunch. She walked up to the bench where her friend was sitting. She was pleased to see Kanami finishing her cigarette and smothering it in an ashtray on top of a trashcan. Misaki sat next to her while setting a McDoness bag between them and grabbed a burger to munch.

"Glad to be out of the hospital?" Misaki asked between bites.

"Happy," replied Kanami. She took out a fry to throw it in her mouth and chewed. "And I'm glad to eat something as good as this. I'm also excited to return to work."

"How are things going at fixing the place?"

"Now that the charts are working. Slow. Those engineers take breaks every half an hour to gossip about what men gossip about and other things. If most of them weren't cute, I'd kick them out of the lab so I can do my job. They're always in my way and it's getting on my nerves.

"What's up with you, Misaki? Why are you in such a mood?"

Misaki choked on her food for a second and then said, "Wha—what do you mean?"

"Ootsuka called earlier to get some more info on QU025. She also told me you look love struck. She asked me if I knew anything about it. The first thought that came to me was Li being in town. He wasn't kicked out of town, was he?"

"Eh, no. And how can Ootsuka tell? She's in love with her anime stuff."

"Don't ask me. Maybe because her anime stuff can have a lot of fluff in it and she picked up it from that."

"Wha—what did you tell her?" Misaki stuttered to say.

"I wasn't sure, because I wasn't. Don't worry; I didn't say anything about Li to her. So why are you love struck?"

"I—I'm not love struck."

"Liar. I noticed you walking a little bow-legged."

"S—so?"

"So; you either magically grew family jewels, or you and somebody, namely Li, slept together."

Misaki, finding it hard to eat her food, blushed. It seemed Kanami was the detective and Misaki a lab rat.

"I'm right, aren't I?" teased Kanami, smiling devilishly while leaning close to her. "How was he?"

Misaki's eyes drifted over to her, her cheeks bright red, and said, "Can… can I keep that to… to myself?"

Kanami frowned, sitting up straight as she closed her eyes with her nose pointed upwards, and said, "Don't worry, I won't ask anymore. He was probably bad if you don't want to talk about it."

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea!"

"Heard that line from you before," Kanami smiled.

Misaki gulped, remembering saying that line after Kanami had caught her talking to Li in the bra section. That day had been an embarrassing day for her.

"If he wasn't bad; and you two had had a wonderful night, then why the long face?" Kanami asked.

"How can I put this?" muttered Misaki, as she gazed at the ground. "He… It was probably our only time. He… might be leaving again."

Kanami's cheerful mood diminished from Misaki's agony posture.

"Imm—immigrations?" she asked. Even though it wasn't the case concerning Hei's situation, Misaki nodded to it. "I'm sorry."

Misaki looked up at her friend and smiled for her support. She took another burger from the bag and began eating. Kanami snatched another fry to stuff it in her mouth.

"You know," continued Kanami between bites, "you could marry him to keep him in town."

Misaki choked on her food again.

---

Azumi walked through the halls of her school and smiled at her friends, as they passed by with her best friend, Kiku, beside her. She had long hair, dark eyes, plumped face, and stood the same height as Azumi.

"Today's the big day, isn't it," she said. "You're eighteen."

"Hai, I know," replied Azumi. "Mars-kun said he'd be at my party tonight too. Maybe I can sneak out of my place with him, and well, you know." She blushed.

"You think he has any experience in that area?"

"Have no idea."

Azumi noticed her other friend standing in the mist of everyone staring off into space. He had short black hair, a sharp face with narrowed eyes, and he stood a few centimeters taller than Azumi and Kiku. Azumi walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He snapped out of his daze and looked back at her.

"Azumi? I didn't notice you had snuck up on me," he said.

"That's because you were staring into space, Nachi," said Azumi. "What were you thinking about?"

"I—I don't know? Everything seems to be a blank until you tapped me on the shoulder."

"Oh. Eh, you're still coming to my party, right?"

"Of course. How could I miss your eighteenth birthday since you only get it once! I also want to meet the guy who stole your heart from me."

"If you're thinking of taking him on, you'll lose, since he's a cop."

Nachi smiled and said, "You always liked the bad boys."

Azumi made a slight curtsey while winking and sticking out her tongue. Nachi turned away from her and headed for his next class, as did Azumi and Kiku.

---

After school, Nachi walked along a ravine heading home. Times like these he liked to be alone with nobody to bug him. He was a little upset that Azumi had a boyfriend: even if you could call them that since how they met. He had asked her out a dozen times, but she kept on turning him down.

He figured for her to go out with him he had to do something terrible, but he couldn't do such a thing.

Suddenly he began to pass out and stood still, as his eyes went out of focus. The ground started to quiver and shake under his feet, and then the concrete broke before him to trail along into the ravine.

Nachi snapped out of his daze; wondering what had happened, and then noticed the crack before him.

"What the heck?" he questioned. "What just happened here?"

"Hey, kid, are you all right?" asked a plump man, as he ran up to him.

"Eh? Oh yeah, I'm fine. What's going on?"

"What's going on? Didn't you feel that earthquake just a second ago?"

"Is that what happened? I had dozed off for a bit."

"Dozed off? In the middle of an earthquake?"

Nachi, feeling awkward about what the man was thinking, began to run off. The man pulled out a phone and dialed 119.

"_What is your emergency?" _asked a voice.

"I think I just encountered a Contractor," the man said.

---

The day had been dragging on for Misaki at the Foreign Affairs. She was getting impatient to know the lab results she presented earlier and prove her theory.

The phone on her desk rang. She snatched it quicker than Hei could whip out his wire and said, "This is Kirihara."

"_Section-Chief, I have the results_," said the scientist.

"And?"

"_You want to do this over the phone?"_

"Yes, now tell me what you have."

"_There's no match_," she said.

"No match?" questioned Misaki. "Could there be at least a comparison of some sort? Like maybe brothers perhaps?"

"_Yes, they share part DNA. I checked the data base, and I'm not going to ask why Fukazawa Marcile's hair ended up in my lab, but I checked the records for the other hair."_

"Get anything?" Misaki asked hysterically.

"Yeah, a dead ten year old. Apparently, a Li Sheng from China had to give blood to his baby sister, Xing. They were killed in a fire a little after Hell and Heaven's Gates appeared."

Misaki's eyes widened, believing Li Sheng is Hei. She had found more information than she expected to find.

"Thank you," said Misaki and hung up the phone.

Moments later Saitou came up to her. She looked up at him and waited for him to speak.

"Chief, we got a call saying some guy might have spotted a Contractor," he said. "I called Kanami, but even though they're only at sixty percent running capacity, she was able to determine there was no Contractor active."

"Apparently the man thought wrong," said Misaki.

"I thought so too, Chief, but I had heard a small earthquake was recorded in that area: only in that area."

Misaki blinked at him a few times and then said, "You're not thinking…?"

"We might have a Moratorium," he said.

"Did you get a description of the kid?"

"Yes, and I sent it out to all units. The public doesn't know yet so we can avoid a panic with the locals."

"All right. Get Detective Fukazawa to give you and Kouno a hand while scanning the streets."

"Fukazawa? Chief, don't you remember? He said you had said he could take the rest of the day off for his girlfriend's eighteenth birthday."

Misaki smacked her head at letting him have the rest of the day off since her mind was somewhere else at the time.

---

Marcile walked up to Azumi's apartment holding a small present and knocked on the door. Seconds later the door opened to show Azumi's mother smiling at him.

"Glad you could make it, Marcile," she said. "Come on in."

He entered to see the small place slightly cramped. Azumi was over by the window wearing a pink shirt and blue jeans. She was talking with her best friend about something when her eyes drifted over at him. Azumi turned to face him smiling and ran up to hug him. She pulled away from him and gazed at the present in his hand.

"That for me?" she asked.

"Yes," he said, and handed it to her.

Azumi smiled and ripped it open to see a necklace. She picked it up and began placing it around her neck with Marcile's help. She looked down at it and then turned around to face Marcile.

"I love it," she said, and gave him a peck on the cheek.

The doorbell rang. Azumi's father answered it to show a sharp face boy in which he smiled at him while gesturing the boy in. He bowed his thanks while entering. The boy located Azumi and walked over to him.

"Nachi, you made it!" said Azumi.

She walked over to hug him, and pulled away. He looked down at her and then at her guests.

"So which one of these guys is your boyfriend?" he asked.

Azumi grabbed Marcile's right arm and pulled him towards her to cuddle next to him. Nachi's jaw line tightened; showing his jealousy, but he pushed it aside and forced a grim-like smile on his face.

"So you're the famous cop I've been hearing about," said Nachi.

"I wouldn't call myself famous," said Marcile embarrassed.

"The way Azumi puts it; it sounds like you saved her from a monstrous creature."

Marcile chuckled while scratching the back of his head with his free hand. Nachi bowed and walked off to get something to drink.

Azumi guided Marcile around, showing him and her new necklace off to her friends. A few of her friends asked if they could see his gun. However, he told them he had left it back at his place. He instead presented his badge. The girls awed while the boys rolled their eyes.

Kiku guided Azumi away from Marcile with Nachi watching everything, as he wished he were dating her. How could he make her eyes avert to his eyes.

Suddenly he spaced out. The ground began to shake; freaking out everybody in the room, and having the floor begin to crack. A string of it creaked over to Azumi, causing her to stare down at it petrified, and then it branched off to form a circle around her. Azumi's heart pounded fast while she froze in fear.

"Azumi!" shouted Marcile.

Within seconds, the floor caved in on her, making her scream while falling through. Marcile ran at her and grabbed her before she hit the floor in the apartment below. The people in the lower apartment, somehow able to avoid the falling debris, looked up puzzled.

Unexpectedly a piece of the roof in Azumi's home came down on Kiku. Marcile looked over at it startled, and then another piece of the ceiling crumbled and slammed on Marcile. He cringed in pain, and then his hold on Azumi gave way to have her fall into the lower apartment. Luckily, the fall was a mere meter, which allowed her to land on her feet and looked up only to see Marcile's hand.

"Mars-kun!" she shouted.

The floor in the lower apartment began to crack under Azumi's feet. She tried to run from it, but she ended up falling into another apartment and breaking her leg.

She cringed in pain, and then freaked out as cracks circled around her again.

"Wha…?" she muttered.

The next thing she knew she found herself falling through the floor once more. Azumi's body slammed onto the ground to have her right elbow break, which impelled her to scream from the impact.

Azumi tried to stand, but she couldn't since she was slowly losing consciousness.

In her apartment, Nachi snapped out of his daze and saw the mess. He looked around to see Kiku, Marcile and a few other guests under rubble. He began to wonder what had happened to Azumi and noticed a hole in the floor. He ran over to it and gazed down to see the girl he really liked two floors down hurt.

"No, what happened?" he muttered.

"An… earthquake, Nachi," said one of Azumi's friends. "Where've you been?"

"An… earthquake?" he stuttered. Fear overwhelmed him, remembering the guy from earlier mentioning an earthquake while his mind was spaced out. "No, it can't be!"

Nachi stormed out of the apartment, hurried down the somewhat crumbled steps, and ran down a few blocks. He stopped running as his eyes diminished, as though he had been possessed. The ground started shaking under his feet, growing stronger with time slowly ticking away. Cracks formed in a building nearby, creeping upwards like a prey trying to run from a predator. Within seconds, it came crashing down.

Above the crumbled building with innocent victims buried in the rubble, a new star was born.

---

Misaki drove through the city where the Moratorium had been spotted earlier. She figured the boy was long gone now. Eventually he would show his presence, but she hoped no one would get hurt in the process.

Something in the sky caught her attention. She pulled over and stared up to see a star shining bright. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach, as though Hei had knocked her up and she was about to experience morning sickness.

"_A new star has appeared!"_ shouted Kanami through her CB. _"I repeat; a new star has been born. YF231 is its Messier code. We are locating it in __Shinjuku Okubo__."_

Misaki gasped and feared Marcile was in the mist of the Moratorium.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter fifteen: Shattered Hope

Past:

The Rain Forest in the Gate looked as though a plague had swarmed through it. Sounds of animal life seemed to have been extinguished, the trees bereaved of life with their leaves scattered along the ground, and the air felt cool and misty instead of hot and humid.

Amber, Havoc and Bai stormed through the Gate, their feet rustling up falling leaves and trampling through murky puddles. The mist created by the gate was hard to see through, making them run into bushes, or having their faces smack into low branches.

Feet running that weren't of their own were echoing up ahead. Within minutes, a platoon of men came into view through the trees.

"THERE!" shouted one of the men.

The platoon rerouted their direction to intercept them. They trained their guns on Havoc, Amber, and Bai, forcing Havoc to step in front of her comrades and glow blue. The men noticed the wind pick up, as a swirling black hole developed behind them. They struggled to stay in place, digging their feet into the ground, or taking a hold of a tree trunk. Dirt and dried up leaves were sucked up while dead branches were ripped from their trees and sucked into the vacuum.

One of the men, who lost his footing, and a man lying on the ground trying to find something to grab, flew backwards and disappeared into the hole. Another man that had his nails digging into a trunk started slipping while leaving scratch marks, and then found his body flipping over end and being swallowed into the black hole.

Eventually the rest of the men found themselves being pulled back into the vacuum one-by-one, as they screamed.

The trio continued their endless journey through the cadaverous-like Rain Forest. More soldiers appeared from behind, firing their weapons. Amber turned to use her power, but Havoc grabbed her shoulder to stop her and called on her power again. She formed her ability above the men this time, making them hover upwards and move their arms and legs as if they were mere puppets, and succumb to the vacuum.

"Are we almost there?" she asked. "I want to perform my obeisance as soon as possible."

"Not sure," said Amber. "I'm not sure if we're going in the right direction."

Havoc snorted and said, "So we're running blind."

"Yes."

Amber felt terrible for leaving Hei behind. She wanted to fill him in on the plan, but Hei wouldn't have believed her. Bai thought it best that if things went wrong the Syndicate wouldn't hold him responsible. She knew MI-6 would tell their agents she was a double agent, as well as the Syndicate, and she would become the most wanted person by both organizations. It was going to be tricky trying to keep her appearance unnoticed, and she felt heart-stricken at what Hei would think of her. Amber wished Hei had agreed to run away with her and Bai. However, that life was never meant to be.

They came up to a group of men surrounding a section. The men, baffled at their presence, pulled out their guns, as Havoc began forming a vacuum hole underneath them. The men gazed downwards for a second, and then screamed as they were swallowed whole.

"What the…?" shouted someone in the distance.

Havoc cursed under her breath when another platoon appeared. Amber, not wanting to be left out of the fight, pulled out a gun and fired while she and her comrades took cover behind a hug rock.

A man with spiky brown hair glowed blue to have a saucer-like thing fling sideways, forcing the trio to roll out of cover as it sliced through the rock like butter. It continued its journey, cutting down trees, until it lost velocity to where it dug into the ground and peeled it back, as though being scalped.

A short man sent a wobbly goo-like bubble at them, making Bai, Havoc and Amber jump out of its path in a split second.

They ran off with Havoc planting another Vacuum behind them in hopes of losing or distracting their pursuers. However, it didn't work as more platoons came into the vicinity.

A sonic boom blasted through the area, knocking Havoc, Amber, and Bai over. They stood and hid behind three different trees, as gunfire pummeled them.

"There's too many to fight off!" shouted Havoc, looking to her right at Amber. "They even have Contractors to stop us now! We can't continue to rampage around! We have to stand and fight here!"

"No!" said Amber. "We have to keep pushing towards the core!"

"How? It seems we've been running around in circles for hours, Amber!"

"This is fine," said Bai. "I can do it from here."

Havoc and Amber looked to their left to stare at Bai perplexed.

"Do what?" Amber asked.

Another sonic blast went off, destroying trees while swirling up leaves in the area, and cracking the tree trunks they hid behind.

"Stop the Jupiter System. They will be firing it soon. I can stop it here."

"How? We're not even close to the core."

"My power. I can do more than electrocute things, Amber."

"I'd feel better if we got closer!"

A third sonic blast struck their hiding spot, cracking the trees more.

"We can't get farther, and we're running out of time!" said Bai. "If I don't do something now, then all will be lost for our kind!"

Amber frowned, but nodded and looked at Havoc.

"Let's bide her some time!" she shouted.

Amber peeked around her tree, and fired a shot to hit someone in the chest. Havoc, still leaning up against the tree, glowed blue to call forth two vacuums beside their attackers. Screams from the platoons bounced off the trees, and then disappeared.

However, it didn't take care of one of the three Contractors as a fourth blast hit them, destroying Havoc's tree, and leaving her enough cover to stay squatted.

Bai closed her eyes for a second, as she raised her hands to her chest while holding the meteor shard, and then glowed blue.

Amber peeked around and scanned the forest in hopes of locating the Contractor, but she could only see men firing assault rifles. She took aim at one of them and put a bullet in his head. She fired another shot, missing a man, and having him take aim at her. Amber took cover as bullets struck the tree and whizzed by her ear.

Havoc, exhausted from using her power continuously, called on it. She wasn't sure it worked since there were no other cries for help.

Another sonic blast hit her tree, destroying it, and knocking Havoc over to litter her with twigs. A soldier pointed his gun at Havoc, smiling in glee. Amber jump out from behind her tree and shot the man in the chest.

Bai opened her eyes with them beaming bright red, making Amber and Havoc look to their left. They then noticed they, their enemies, and the whole forest were highlighted in blue. The ground beneath them began to shake, making their enemies quiver in fear.

"Wha—what's going on?" shouted one of the platoon men. "SHOOT! SHOOT EVERYTHING WE HAVE AT THEM!"

As preordered, gunfire poured out from the enemies. Havoc hurried over to another tree in time to void the assault. More sonic booms came storming at them, peeling and pulverizing their hiding places.

"Crap! Even if Bai succeeds, we're still dead!" shouted Havoc. "Explain to me why I did something so irrational!"

Amber ignored Havoc to watch Bai to see her focusing on saving them. In the distance, something began to power up.

"Amber, use your power and help Havoc escape," said Bai.

"We're not leaving you behind to die, Bai!"

"I'm already dead. The instant I used my power I killed myself." Amber stared at her flabbergasted. "There's no time to explain. You just have to trust me and get out of the country!"

"Out of the… country? Bai!"

"I'm going to hide the Gate."

"What?" Amber and Havoc shouted. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"Doesn't matter. If I hide the Gate, then the Syndicate can't try to kill us again."

"There's still Hell's Gate, Bai," pointed out Havoc. "What if they use that one next? Who will there be to stop that one?"

Bai didn't answer.

"If you're going to hide Heaven's Gate, then why do we have to run?" Amber asked.

"If you don't then you and Havoc will be caught in a major explosion!" replied Bai. Amber narrowed her eyes peculiarly. "I fear it will wipe away everything in South America."

"Everything? Including Hei?"

"It's alright. I won't let Brother die. I love him too much to see him die."

"Then I'll get him out of here, as well!"

"You can't. You'll use too much of your price trying to save him. You have to stay alive until they try to kill our kind again. And if I don't make it, you have to get Brother to hide Hell's Gate."

Amber gasped. What did she mean by that? How could Hei, a human, stop the Syndicate from firing another weapon like the Jupiter system?

"Go, now!" shouted Bai.

Amber snapped out of her trance.

"No, Bai, not without you!"

A sonic boom destroyed Bai's tree, causing a hug chunk to pierce her abdomen, and having her fall to her knees. Amber, her eyes widened in shock, began to run over to the girl she started to consider a friend and a sister.

"GO! PLEASE!" shouted Bai, cringing from the pain while holding the piece of wood sticking out of her body and dripping of her blood. "There's nothing you can do now!"

Amber nodded. She ran over to Havoc, bullets and sonic blast missing her by centimeters. She reached her safely, placed her right hand on Havoc's shoulder while glowing blue, and disappeared before Bai's eyes.

"Brother," muttered Bai.

Moments later, in the mist of the jungle, a light flashed, and then formed into a half moon that grew bigger to swallow up Heaven's Gate and majority of South America.

Present:

Misaki blazed through the city with motorist moving aside for her, as her siren wailed. Moments later, she arrived at the scene to see part of the apartment complex in ruins. Medics were attending to injured victims or wheeling them into ambulances to take them to a hospital.

A few blocks from them, emergency personal were digging through rubble from a building that had collapsed. From reports she had heard, a few people had been saved, but there were still countless of residences missing.

She spotted Marcile sitting on the bumper of an ambulance being attended to, as Kouno and Saitou rode up. She and her colleagues exited their vehicles to walk over to him. He had his right arm in a sling, his head was bandaged, and his shirt, along with his pants, were covered in dirt and torn.

"You're lucky you have a hard head," said the medic, as Misaki, Kouno and Saitou stepped before them.

"Doesn't feel like it right now," responded Marcile. "It feels like an apple that was picked up a dozen times and thrown back on the stand to be bruised."

The medic smiled.

"You still need to go to the hospital to get looked at better," he said.

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

"No you won't," said Misaki. "As soon as you're done telling me what had happen, this medic will personally drive you to the hospital. That way you can check on your girlfriend."

"Ah, right."

Marcile told what he had seen.

"Do you know who the Moratorium is?" Misaki asked.

"Ah, I do," said Marcile. He pulled out his cell phone and showed a picture of a few people on the screen. "The boy with short black hair. His name is Nachi. He was spaced out when the earthquake started, and he was shocked at what had happened afterwards."

Misaki took the phone to gaze at it and then handed it to Saitou.

"Put out an APB on him, but tell no one to approach him until our men are on sight," said Misaki. "Also, send me a picture of him to my cell."

"All right, Chief," said Saitou.

He walked off while pulling out his phone to talk while Kouno followed him. Misaki stared back at Marcile as she remembered what she had discovered and wondered if it was true. Was he Hei's brother?

She shrugged the thought off and said, "Trouble seems to find you around every corner, doesn't it, Detective."

Marcile smirked, but flinched from the pain.

"That's what my mom use to say to me all the time," he replied.

Misaki looked over at the medic and gestured for him to take Marcile away. He bowed, closed the back doors, and entered the passenger seat to head for the hospital. She returned to her car to drive through the city while listening to her CB for any updates on the Moratorium.

No matter how she wanted to put the thought of Hei and Marcile to the back of her mind, it seemed to pop up more than Contractors stars shining brightly in the sky. She wondered how she would tell them. Matter of fact, Misaki thought if it best to keep it quiet.

Her cell phone rang to indicate she had been sent an E-mail. She pulled over and looked at her phone to see the picture of Nachi. As she looked at the picture, she received another short message. It said for her to turn down the next alley. Misaki sighed, pulled into traffic to make a left turn, and came to a stop to gaze around the confined space.

Moments later, her passenger door opened to have Hei in his blue coat sit next to her closing the door.

"I want to help you find the Moratorium," he said.

"And let you handle things like you did five years ago with that other Moratorium?" she questioned.

"That wasn't my fault, mostly. I never intended for Mai's father to be caught up in things. It just happened."

Misaki stared at him for a second. She huffed out her exhaustion and showed him a picture of the boy.

"Got it, Yin?" he asked to no one in particular. Misaki figured he was talking with his Doll. "All right. Keep an eye out for him."

Hei went to open her door, but she grabbed his arm and said, "Wait. There's something I want to say to you."

Hei looked at her puzzled, giving her the same expression when she had asked if he wanted to eat with her before the Tokyo Explosion. Misaki wanted to ask him if he had a brother, or if he knew if he had a brother.

"What is it?" he asked.

Misaki, feeling like it was a mistake, instead said, "Please save this kid."

"I'll do my best, Misaki."

He exited the car and disappeared into the shadows.

Marcile was checked out by a doctor and released. He walked over to the counter to say, "I'm looking for Yamani Azumi."

"Are you a relative?" the plump woman nurse asked.

"My name is Fukazawa Marcile. I'm a detective with the Foreign Affairs."

"Are you here to ask her questions?"

"No, I'm her boyfriend. I came by to see how she's doing."

"Sorry, Sir. If you're neither of bloodline or married to her, I cannot permit you up to her room."

"Please, I was in the earthquake incident a couple of hours ago. I had tried to save her from falling, but I couldn't. I just wanted to know how she's doing."

The nurse glared at him for a moment before sighing and saying, "All right. Room 231 on the second floor."

"Thank you, miss."

Marcile stepped onto an elevator to his right to ride it up to the second floor, exited it, and headed left. He passed four rooms before arriving at Azumi's, and entered it to see her parents standing before Azumi who was sitting up in the bed. Azumi's right arm and leg were in a case with her shoulder bandaged.

They looked over at him and smiled.

"I think we'll step out for a bit," said Azumi's mother.

Her and her husband exited the room while closing the door. Marcile walked up to the right side of Azumi's bed and sat on the edge.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yes, but the doctors want to keep me over night to make sure I have no other injuries," she said. "How are you?"

"I'm fine."

She smiled, but then frowned as she averted her eyes while looking depressed. Azumi looked back at him with a concerned expression.

"What—what's going to happen to Nachi?" she asked.

"Eh um," muttered Marcile, as he drifted his eyes away from Azumi, and then gazed back at her. "We'll try to look for him, and when we find him, we'll try to apprehend him as safely as we can and help him control his power."

"It's my fault, isn't it? If I hadn't pushed him away then Nachi wouldn't have become a Moratorium."

"No, it's not. We don't know how someone becomes a Moratorium or a Contractor. It just happens. Anybody in this world could change into one."

"Then why not me? Why Nachi?"

"I—I'm sorry, but I don't know, Azumi."

Azumi's eyes balled up with tears and then poured out as she hugged Marcile.

"Please help him," she begged. "Please."

Marcile tightened his hold on her to help with the pain she felt.

Nachi hurried through the streets as he wondered where he should go. He knew what he was, and he knew some Moratoriums weren't able to control their powers to where they went on a major killing spree. He didn't want that and he didn't want to become a Contractor. He wanted to be normal for Azumi.

"So he's the one we're looking for?" said a red-haired man with rectangular glasses.

"Yes he is," said a dark-skinned man with an Afro. "You're coming with us, boy."

"What? No, stay away from me or I'll kill you," said Nachi.

"Calm yourself," said the red-haired man, as he and his partner slowly approached. "We know what you are. If you stay calm, everything will be alright."

"No! STAY AWAY!"

Nachi's eyes began to blur and the ground started to shake. The concrete under the red-haired man's feet caved in to have him fall into the subway's tunnel. He landed on the tracks, breaking his legs, and cursing while looking up through the hole. A horn sounded down the tunnel, causing the man to gasp and stare down it to see a bright light heading towards him. He tried to stand, but couldn't, and screamed out his lungs seconds before being impaled by the train. His blood was splattered everywhere, as his body was thrown backwards to be run over.

On the streets, the dark-skinned man pulled out a piece of glass, chewed on it for a few seconds, and swallowed it. He then glowed blue to call forth a flock of bees and send them at Nachi. Nachi looked towards it, made the ground pop up to form a wall, and have the bees smash into it.

"Tsk!" spat the dark-skinned man.

He pulled out another piece of glass to eat, and as he called on his power, Nachi reformed the wall into a spike to send it towards the dark-skinned man, impale it through his body and plowed it into a nearby building.

The people around screamed in fright, causing Nachi to face them, and making him shake the ground. A few citizens fell onto their knees and bottoms, as others grabbed onto something to support them. The buildings began to fall apart as the road cracked.

Police cars blared onto the scene, which made Nachi focus his attention on them and crush the cars as though they were tin cans. The officers screamed out in pain from their bodies being squashed, killing them, and having their blood squirt out like a tomato being squeezed.

He returned his gaze at the citizens, wanting to rid them.

A wire wrapped around his wrist, followed by a volt of electricity shooting through it to electrocute Nachi, and stopping him from using his ability, as he dropped to his knees. Nachi stood while turning around to face the Black Reaper, and called on his power to rattle the ground. BK201 retracted his wire, flung it to hook onto a pole, and flew off to land behind Nachi, as the ground caved in.

"I know you don't want to hurt anybody," said the Black Reaper. "You have to control your power so these people don't get hurt."

Nachi looked back at the Black Reaper and said, "I can't."

"Yes you can. I knew a girl who did, and I know you can as well."

"Even if I do, I'll become a Contractor. Nobody will love me and I won't love them. Azumi won't love me."

"You're wrong. There will be people who will love you, and you will love them back. I'm sure your friend, Azumi, will love you."

"It doesn't matter. Contractors and humans can never be together."

"Contractors and humans can live together."

"That's a lie."

"It's not a lie. It's true since I myself am in love with a human. I want to be with her as much as you want to be with Azumi."

Nachi stared at BK201 for a few seconds, as if he was taking in what he was saying. He blinked a few times, and then his eyes turned normal as he took control of his ability. He looked over at the people cowering and the officers he had hurt and killed. Nachi gazed back at BK201.

"Do me a favor," he said. "Tell Azumi… tell her… I'm sorry."

He called on his power, making Hei wonder what he was about to do, and realized he was focusing on collapsing a building on himself.

"No, don't!" shouted Hei, as he flung out his wire to save him.

However, he was too late. The building began to tremble, and then rubble came crumbing down to bury Nachi alive.

Hei stared at it dumbstruck. He had failed to keep his promise to Misaki.

Misaki, Kouno and Saitou stood before the rubble that was Nachi's grave. Misaki had received a call from Kanami a few minutes ago. She had stated that BK201 and Nachi were active, and then she informed Nachi's star had fallen. Misaki had thought at first that Hei might have killed him, but she didn't think he would do such a thing after his promise. Once she had arrived on the scene to see the rubble, she knew what had happened.

After hours of rampaging through twisted metals and concrete, Fire fighters dug out his body, and lay him on the ground. Misaki pulled out her phone to give Marcile the bad news.

At the hospital, a nurse informed Marcile he had a call. He exited the room and walked over to the desk to answer the phone. On the other end was his boss mentioning Nachi's passing. He nodded as he said he understood, and reentered Azumi's room to tell her what had happened.

Her bottom lip trembled as her tears streamed down her cheeks. Marcile sat on her bed to let her cry out the pain she was feeling on his chest.

At one in the morning in Misaki's apartment, Hei and Misaki sat on her bed, Misaki holding her covers over her naked body, as Hei cradled her in his arms. Her hair hung loose down her back with a few strands draping over her shoulders and eyes.

She closed her eyes, muttering, "I can't take this job anymore. I wanted to protect people, but it feels like I haven't saved a single life. So many people have died because of the Gates. Alice, Jack Simon, Chiaki, Tahara, and now Nachi. So many people and their names haunt me every night. It feels like they want to ask me why I couldn't save them."

"We can't save everybody, my love," Hei muttered, as he brushed away her hair to kiss her neck. He took her chin and turned her face towards him so he could stare into her eyes that weren't hidden behind her glasses. "All we can do is remember them, as I have. I have lost many friends, and I too have dreams of them. We can't forget them if we want to continue on."

Misaki gulped as a tear escaped her right eye. She smiled and kissed him. Hei carefully laid her down on the bed to make love to her.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen: On the Run

Sorry for the long wait, but my hours at work have changed, and I'm working a lot later. My story telling and grammar might be a little more off than usual. My apologies. Please enjoy, and I'll try to be quicker with the next chapter.

Past:

Hei's head began to throb heavily, waking him while he cringed from the pain, and pushed his body to a kneeling position, as he rubbed the back of his head where Havoc had hit it. His anger began to boil from Amber and Havoc's traitorous move they had done.

He glanced around the vicinity for any signs of them, but all he saw were dead bodies scattered across the land. In addition, Heaven's Gate seemed to have vanished. It looked as though a huge circular-like object had fallen from the heavens and swallowed the Gate, leaving a symmetrical forest line.

"What—happened, here…?" questioned Hei, as he stared at the wasteland.

He stood, brushing his bottom, and cautiously headed towards it. He stopped along the forest line, feeling his stomach turning, as though warning him not to go further, but his curiosity drew him towards it.

Hei took a step into the vast emptiness. As he did, it felt as though his body was entering a water-like portal, and then he found himself exiting into a different portion of South America's rain forest.

"What the…?" questioned Hei. "What… what just happened?"

Suddenly, a platoon of men dressed in black uniforms, wearing white helmets and white vest, charged out from behind trees and surrounded Hei with their rifles trained on him. Hei, shocked to see a group of people alive, raised his hands in surrender.

"Don't move!" ordered the leading soldier. "Who are you?"

"Hei."

"How come you're the only survivor after that explosion?"

"Explosion?" questioned Hei, his eyes wider than a protagonist loli character. "What do you mean by an explosion?" He narrowed them, realizing he didn't recognize the uniforms. "Who are you?"

"A newly formed group from Tokyo, Japan. We're called, Pandora."

Hei's right eye twitched, wondering what Pandora was, but before he could ask, the guard walked up to Hei, and struck him in the forehead with the butt of his rifle.

xxxxx

A week had past since the Heavenly war had ended. In that time, Havoc and Amber were able to travel to a European providence where they hid in a small hamlet that had been abandoned.

They sat at a table discussing the situation that had happened. The room was cramped, barely enough space to push out the chairs from under the table before hitting the walls, and there was a rectangular window against the front wall that had smudges on the window with zero visibility. The floor, made out of termite-infested wood, creaked from the slightest movement.

A ceiling fan doused in dust with a missing blade slowly turned clockwise while one of its three light bulbs shined down on Amber and Havoc. The table was made out of maple, but it had lost it's beautify from the lack of care.

"We can't ignore it," said Amber. "No doubt in five years the Syndicate will try their little attack again. We need to build our own army to fight them off."

"What about Hei?" Havoc asked. "From what we were able to gather before departing South America, he's still alive like Bai had said. Should we tell him what had happened? He has the right to know since he's the only one left who survived the blast. We need to get in contact with him and tell him."

"As much as I agree with you, we can't do that." Amber shook her head. "Hei wouldn't believe us. He'll blame us for his sister's disappearance."

Havoc pursed her lips displeased that she had lost the argument and leaned back in her chair while looking away. She turned her eyes towards Amber with a thought on her mind.

"How'd you think Bai did it?" she asked. "How do you think she saved him?"

"I don't know, but I think it has something to do with the meteor shard. That thing has some unique power that I can't explain. No wonder the Syndicate wants it so badly.

"If you don't mind, it's getting late, and I want to get up early to get a head start on things tomorrow."

Amber stood from the table, exited the dining room, and entered a room she claimed for her private use. It was small and dank, the light overhead blinking in and out occasionally, and the door hard to close, but it was better than sleeping on rocks.

Amber lay down on an old cot that had a few springs sticking out of its sides, and closed her eyes to have a dreamless sleep.

xxxxx

Amber woke in the middle of the night and ran across into the bathroom to throw up in the toilet. The white décor was covered in mildew, the tub looking as though it had been painted with dirt and muck, and the toilet's water as black as Hei's coat that was mixed with Amber's dinner now. A diminutive smoke window that had a crack running corner to corner lay behind her.

She stared down at the chunky spew, baffled at how she had gotten sick, and couldn't recall the last time she had regurgitated her food. It had to have been years ago when she was in her early thirties.

Suddenly, she barfed again. Another wave hit her, along with a third, which made it feel as though her stomach was trying to push her intestines outwards.

Believing the worst had past, she wiped at the revolting taste that had been left behind with her sleeve.

What was wrong with her? Had she gained a new obeisance, or was there something else at foot?

She leaned before the toilet, waiting to see if she had any leftovers to rid from her stomach. Feeling there wasn't another batch running up her tubes, she slowly stood.

A noise outside caught her attention. She quietly slid open the cracked window, peeked out it and saw flashes of light shining towards the house. Amber ran out of the bathroom to head for Havoc's room, but before she could reach it, an explosion went off, making her fall forward and land on her stomach while shielding her head as wood chips, dirt, and other things spattered on top of her.

Amber looked up, making dust particles from her hair flutter in the air and having pieces of wood slip off her, and spotted a few men dress in black from head to toe. They were wearing goggles that covered a majority of their face and stormed into the house with their rifles at the ready. She stood while exposing her presence to the intruders, and charged into Havoc's room, as gunfire pulverized the wall, and then the door as she slammed it shut.

Havoc was awoken from the blazing fire and rolled out of bed to her right. She was about to use her power towards the door as another explosion erupted inwards along the back wall, throwing Amber against the opposite wall, and Havoc over the bed to land on her back.

"Havoc?" shouted Amber.

She tried to check on her, but before she could reach her, the intruders busted down the door and aimed their guns at her. As they fired, Amber highlighted in blue and stopped time.

To her relief, the bullets came to a halt centimeters way from her, causing Amber to let out a breath of air she had been holding back.

She stepped away from the hovering bullets and knelt beside Havoc to shake her awake, but there was no response.

Amber sighed, knowing Havoc had been killed in the explosion, stood to zigzag through the men in front of the door, and depart the house.

The men in black unfroze from Amber's hold to continue their assault and pulverized the back wall. After noticing she wasn't present before them, they ceased fire and looked around dumbfounded.

"Damn! She used her power!" shouted the leader. "Vince, check to make sure she's not still around." A man to his right turned and left the room. "Biggs, check the red head."

A man to his left stepped forward, kneeled next to Havoc, and checked for a pulse. He looked back and said, "Dead."

The leader clanked over his shoulder, nodded towards Havoc's body, and said, "December, do your thing."

A bald, chubby man walked up to Havoc, bent over, and highlighted in blue. Havoc's body also highlighted, and then her eyes opened while she took in a deep breath of air to cough out seconds later and sat up, as two men grabbed her arms. She continued struggling to work her lungs properly, but once she regained control, she look back and forth at her captors, and then at the men before her to kill them. However, she noticed her power wasn't responding.

"Why—why won't my powers work?" she asked, as she fought with the two men.

"You were dead, but we brought you back to life," said the leader. "It seems you had lost your power in the process since your star had fallen just moments ago."

"Wha…?" questioned Havoc.

She couldn't believe such a thing. What was she supposed to do now, now that she was powerless? To her concern, was she still considered a Contractor, or was she a mere human?

In addition, what happened to Amber? Had she been killed, or had she somehow escaped?

She scanned the room, wondering if her comrade's body might be lying nearby, but she saw no evidence.

"Tell us where Amber went to?" the leader asked.

Havoc looked up at him startled, but also pleased to hear she was still alive after the incident.

"You work for the Syndicate?" she asked.

"That doesn't concern you. Now, tell us where Amber is," demanded the leader.

"If she was able to escape, then I don't know."

"Where were you planning on going from here?" Havoc glared at him, refusing to answer any of his questions. "We have ways of making you talk."

"It won't make a difference how much you torture me. You won't find out what you want to know since I don't know."

"Very well. Kyle, get to work."

A muscular man rounded the leader while cracking his knuckles, and socked Havoc across the face. Her head turned sideways with blood seeping from her mouth. She winced slightly, but then smiled at the pain while looking back at them. The muscular man socked her again to get the same result.

He repeated his actions ten times, only achieving to break Havoc's nose, bruise her cheeks, and give her a black eye.

Having enough of the beating, the muscle man decided to snap her right pinky. She screamed from the pain, pleasing her abuser, and thinking he might be onto something.

"Tell us, and I won't break anymore," he said. She cringed from the horrific feeling, but she sucked it in and looked back at him while chuckling. "You think this is funny?"

"No, hilarious," she replied.

Her abuser frowned, and snapped her next finger. Havoc bellowed from the pain, but then laughed at it, and said, "You're… wasting… your time!"

He continued his action, snapping her middle finger, followed by the index finger, and then her thumb."

"That's enough!" shouted the leader. "Apparently we're not getting anywhere. She doesn't know anything."

"Want to kill her?" asked the muscle man, as he looked back at the leader.

"No, wipe her memory so she doesn't remember anything."

xxxx

**Present**:

Misaki sat at her desk late at night with Marcile still at his computer trying to catch up on two days of work he had missed. She liked his enthusiasm, making her think he was a workaholic like her, but she needed to do things concerning him, and her prime place to investigate on him was at the Foreign Affairs.

After two hours of waiting patiently, he stood from his chair and nodded goodnight to her. She returned it and watched him enter the elevator. When it closed, she picked up her phone and dialed an American number in Chicago.

"_This is the adoption agency," _said arecorder in English. Misaki trained her hearing to listen for words she knew well. _"If you are giving up a child for adoption, press one. If you wish to pick up a child for adoption, press two. If you are thinking of adoption, press three. If you are thinking of adopting and aren't sure, press four. If you are calling to tell us we're wrong to adopt out children, press five." _Misaki's face became obscured with anger. _"If you're calling for information about adoption, press six."_

Misaki pressed six.

"_You are calling for information, if this is correct, press one. If not, press two."_

She pressed one.

"_You pressed yes. If this is correct, press one. If not, press two."_

Misaki furiously pressed one. She was getting mad at the recording, not because of the many questions, but because her English wasn't perfect. Not only that, her brain was frying at understanding the thing.

"_Please hold while we transfer your call," _said the voice.

The speaker on her phone began to play music that someone would hear on an elevator. Misaki leaned back in her chair and waited.

Unfortunately, she had been put on hold for a half an hour. If she knew this would have happened, Misaki would have gone home and made love to Hei: twice.

"_Hello?" _someone asked in English finally.

"Hello," said Misaki, as she spoke what little English she knew. "You have someone who speaks Japanese?"

"Yes, one second, please."

The speaker began to play the same music, and like last time, she had to wait. She remembered her father complaining about the phone service, and that he missed the old days when you called you got someone right away.

"_Hello?" _a woman asked in Japanese, a half an hour later.

"Hello, my name is Kirihara Misaki. I am calling on behalf of an orphan from your place. Marcile Fukazawa, who was adopted fifteen years ago."

"_Marcile Fukazawa?"_ Clicking sounded through the speaker, making Misaki guess the person on the other line was looking up the file on a computer. _"Oh yes. Here it is. What is this about?"_

"I was wondering if you could tell me who had given him up for adoption."

"_I'm sorry, but we can't do such a thing unless it's for medical reasons."_

"It's not for medical reason, but I think I have evidence that would prove Marcile has a brother he doesn't know of. Could you at least give me a number of someone who worked there at that time that can give me a description?"

"_Well um? Do you have video chat?"_

"Yes."

"_All right. Call me tomorrow on video chat at the same time. My line will be Harry, Ginny, forever. Harry and Ginny together of course, and then _for_ is the number four."_

"All right. I got it. You should receive an invite from the Foreign Affairs. See you then, and goodnight."

"_Eh, morning for us."_

"Oh, right. Good morning to you."

Misaki hung up the phone and entered the elevator to depart the department. She road it down to the garage, exited once it reach its destination, and began approaching her car. An SUV whipped around a corner and screeched to a halt in front of her. Misaki frowned and reached into her purse, as the side door slid open to allow three men, dressed in black and wearing dark sunglasses, hop out of it.

"Section-Chief of the Foreign Affairs Section Four Kirihara Misaki?" said the lead man.

He had silky-black hair, stood slightly taller than Misaki, and held his nose upright, as though presenting his manner of pride.

Misaki removed her hand from her purse, and said "No. I'm Nana Mizuki."

"You are to come with us."

Her right eye narrowed, as her left shoulder slumped, and said, "Am I under arrest for something?"

"No."

"Then this conversation is over with." She began to walk off. "Now if you'll excuse me. It's late and I'd like to get home before the night turns into day."

The lead man placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"I am truly sorry, but you don't have a choice," he stated.

A man behind the lead man highlighted in blue. Misaki's eye's widened, and as her instinct took over, she went for her gun, but before her right hand could reach it, she found herself passing out.

xxxx

Hei was walking the streets with Misaki while holding her in his arms. They had gotten out of a movie theater and were heading for a restaurant to get something to eat. They chuckled without a care in the world, as if everything that was wrong with today's society had vanished.

He wished it could be like this for the rest of his life, but he knew that would only happen in his wildest dreams. It was best to take what Misaki and he could get out of their lives.

They stepped before the restaurant, but as they were about to enter, Yin stepped before them. Hei tilted his head curiously at her while Misaki stared on puzzled. Yin raised her right hand, and without warning, she smacked Hei's face.

He looked back at her dumbfounded, and as he was about to ask why she had done such a ruthless thing, she backhand slapped him.

Hei blinked baffled at her actions, and then cringed as she smacked him again, again, and again.

He woke up from his dream to sit up startled and breathing heavily. Without warning, he was slapped hard by Yin.

"Ouch! I'm awake!" bellowed Hei. She stopped and kneeled back to have Hei look over at her dumbstruck. "I was having a splendid dream, Yin! What's so important to wake me up from it?"

"Misaki, she's been taken," said Yin.

"What?" His irritated voice vanquished as a concerned and worried tone flew from his lips. "Where to?"

"I don't know. I couldn't follow them. They have something. My spirit can't track them."

"No water, you mean?"

"No, there is. It's as if they have some kind of field. I can't get through, and it's frustrating."

Hei wasn't surprised at Yin's comment. She had been like that for the past two years. He looked away from her and began to worry about Misaki's safety, and wondered who was responsible for kidnapping her.

If he was to bet on it, he guessed it had been the Syndicate.

xxxx

Misaki woke up on a soft cot in the corner of a brightly lit confined room. She stood and gazed around the room, noticing a door, and a rectangular one-way mirror along the adjacent wall. Misaki walked over to the mirror and stared at it with a firm expression.

"This is kidnapping!" she yelled, and then pounded on it with her fists. "You people won't get away with this!"

The door to her left opened. Misaki looked at it to see the man in black from earlier standing in the doorway. He held a perfect posture with his arms behind his back, and his jaw lines clenched tight, as he glared at her.

"Yes we will," he said.

"Who are you people?" she demanded. "Are you part of the Syndicate?"

"Perfect detective skills, Section-Chief Kirihara. However, this is a different portion of the Syndicate you have not seen yet."

"The higher ups? Why have you taken me against my free will?"

"The answer to that question does not lie with me. However, the one who can answer it wants to see you. She is the one who wanted you here to begin with."

"Who?"

"You'll find out soon enough since I am here to guide you to her."

The man in black stepped aside and gestured for Misaki to follow. Misaki, uncertain if she should trust him, straightened her posture and exited the room. He guided her down a small brightly lit corridor. As she walked down it, she noticed the floor seemed as though it had been buffed to where it felt like a skating rink, but her feet didn't slip underneath her. It had a harsh surface, but hers and her host's shoes weren't making any clanking sounds.

"What is this place?" Misaki muttered.

They turned a corner and stepped before an elevator. The man in black swiped his card through a device to open the door, and had her enter it with him.

It was doused in black marble and had a device like the one outside beside the control panel.

The door closed behind them with a swish sound. The man in black swiped his card again, and hit an unmarked button. Within seconds, the elevator ascended.

Misaki gulped and stirred slightly from her uneasiness. If the man in black noticed, he said nothing about it, as he stared at the door waiting for it to open.

Moments later, the door slid aside to reveal a vast room with red drapes hanging from the ceiling. The floor was made out of marble to where the city outside mirrored off it. A raised section lay before a glass window that filled the whole room and a half-mooned like chair facing towards it with a woman sitting in it cross-legged

Misaki gasped in shock to see she was in Hong Kong, wondering how it was possible. Perhaps her kidnappers had a Contractor who could teleport from point A to point Z.

"Lu-sama, Section-Chief of the Foreign Affairs Section Four Kirihara Misaki is here," said the man in black.

"Thank you, Tsunami," said the woman. Her voice sounded as deep as Misaki's. "You may leave now."

"As you command, Lu-sama," he said while bowing and placing his hand over his heart.

He stepped onto the elevator, holding his bow. Once it closed, Misaki focused her eyes on the unknown person in the chair.

"He's such a brownnoser," said the woman named Lu. "I can't stand brownnosers, but his loyalty keeps him alive."

"Who are you and why have you brought me here?" Misaki asked.

Lu sat in silence for a few seconds.

"What do you think of this world?" she asked finally while waving her right hand outwards in gestured to the city.

"Corrupt, and your organization doesn't make things easier," stated Misaki.

"Always trying to be honest. Honesty doesn't get you far in this time of age, Section-Chief Kirihara Misaki. Didn't your father teach you that yet?"

"He has in his own ways."

"You are referring to when he didn't tell you his purpose in the Syndicate?"

Misaki slanted her right eyelid, titled her head slightly, and said, "You seem to know so much about me, but I have no idea who you are."

"The Syndicate knows everything, Kirihara Misaki. We know Hourai offered you a good position with us, but you turned it down. We know you don't trust Iasi as your new commander, and we know about your little affair with Hei."

"What was that?" questioned Misaki, her body stiffening.

"Furthermore, you know who I am, Misaki."

The woman turned around in the chair to show her appearance. She had long dark-brown hair, and light brown eyes hidden behind a pair of glasses. She wore a business suit similar to Misaki's, but she wore a knee length skirt.

Misaki's eyes widened, as she gasped in shock.

"Mo—Mother?" she stuttered.

"It's been a while, Mi-chan."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen: Siblings

A/N: I don't live in London, so the stuff I wrote about it I mostly gained from pictures and maps. If I had gotten anything wrong, please be free to send me a message so I can fix it and get it that much better.

Thank you.

Past:

Hei sat in a small and dim cell in an unknown location with a metal door before him that had a bar window and a slot to slide trays in and out. He had woken up a day earlier in the jail cell to find a bowl of rice and water waiting for him. He had downed it within seconds and wished there was more.

He had received another dose of food the following morning, but he wasn't met with the person in charge of holding him captive. He was growing impatient with these people, and when somebody did appear, he might go ballistic.

Finally, after waiting two days, his cell door opened with a guard pointing a rifle at Hei. Hei raised his hands to show that he was going to be cooperative. The guard twitched his gun sideways, stating to Hei to stand and exit the cell. Hei did so, and as he walked down the depleted hallway, the guard pushed and shoved at his back. He forced himself to keep calm from knocking out the guard's teeth.

Hei was guided up a few flights of stairs, and then stepped through a metal door to a brightly lit hallway. The guard shoved at his back again, demanding Hei to keep moving. Hei, growling under his breath, continued and prayed he'd get the chance to beat the crap out of the guard.

Hei was pushed into a secluded room with a table and two chairs facing each other. A well-dressed Japanese man sat behind the table with his hands laced together on it. He had a clean haircut, wore rectangular glass, and had an eerie smile that would frighten a two-year old.

"Please, have a seat, Hei," the man said in Japanese while gesturing to a seat before him with his right hand.

"Are you MI-6?" Hei asked.

"No, I'm with the Syndicate."

Hei smiled devilishly, glanced back at the guard, and elbowed him in the face to break his nose. The guard stumbled back from the sudden attack, grabbing at his nose as it bled, and then aimed his rifle at Hei to fire.

"STOP!" shouted the man in English. The guard looked at him baffled. "Obviously you were rude to our guest while leading him here. Leave us be and get your nose looked at."

The guard frowned and left the room while closing the door behind him. The man in the suit gestured again for Hei to sit. Hei did so while glaring at the man.

"Who are you and how do you know my code name?" Hei asked.

"I know everything about you, Li Sheng," said the man. "However, that name no longer exists since the boy had died, or supposedly had died. My name is Eric Nishijima and I work for the Syndicate; like you do, Hei."

"I highly doubt it. You smell like blood as I do, but what I smell off of you is different, as though your stains come from a piece of paper."

Eric smiled and said, "You have a keen nose, Hei. I'm sorry for making you wait in a cell, but I happened to be in Japan during the explosion in South America. I had to take connecting flights from Narita airport to here."

"Enough of the chit-chat!" bellowed Hei. "Where are we anyways? What happened to Heaven's Gate? What happened to my little sister?"

"We're in the States. New Mexico if you want to be exact without giving this base's location up. As for Heaven's Gate and your sister, BK201, I was hoping you could tell me."

"Me? I know nothing what so ever." Hei shrugged. "Last thing I remember is Amber and Havoc betraying me and then they did something with Bai."

"So you're saying you know nothing concerning the explosion."

Hei's eyes slanted, as he asked, "What do you mean by that? What explosion? What is going on?"

"The explosion was some sort of bright light that killed billions of people around Heaven's Gate. Heaven's Gate seems to have disappeared after the explosion. The last star that was active was BK201's star. The four people that had lived through the whole ordeal were Amber, Havoc, Bai, and yourself."

Hei's eyes widened.

"Bai's still alive?" he asked.

"Her star didn't fall. Are you sure you don't know what had happened?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Very well. If that is all, I'll have one of my men send you back to your cell."

"My cell? You have to be kidding! I've told you what I know!"

"Yes, you did tell me something, but how do I know what you are telling me is true?"

"You son of a…"

Unexpectedly, Hei's eyes burned red as he jumped over the table to grab Eric's shirt. Eric looked on flabbergasted at Hei, and then without expecting it, Hei shocked him. Eric shook vigorously while screaming in horrific pain with his glasses falling off his face and eyes bulging in his sockets.

Seconds after he had started, Hei relinquish his newfound power. He held his anger for a few seconds, but then looked on shocked as he let go of Eric to let him fall to the floor staring up at the ceiling dumbfounded. Hei gazed at his hands lost for words, wondering how he had gained his sister's power.

The door to the room opened to reveal the broken-nosed guard stitched up with a few men behind him. The other men trained their rifles at Hei, as the broken-nosed guard walked over to Hei, he raised his rifle upwards, and knocked him out with the butt of his gun.

* * *

Amber walked down Euston road in London, heading west towards King's Cross Station wearing a raincoat, as a downpour pounded the city. Cars and Double Decker buses driving on the left side of the road moved sluggishly while commuters braving the weather rushed to his or her destination.

The various buildings were doused from the rain, along with the red phone booths and the red rounded mailboxes. The British Library that was coming into view was a vast building that was made out of reddish bricks, and had a vast courtyard before the building's L-shaped feature.

It had been two weeks since Havoc's death, and during that time, the Syndicate and MI-6 were persistent at following her from country-to-country, to city-to-city.

Her best bet to lose them was to travel through time, but she wasn't sure how much of a price she would pay.

"There she is!" shouted someone. Amber looked over her shoulder to see three men in black swiftly approaching her. She broke out into a run, causing her pursuers to curse as they charged after her. "No you don't!"

Amber ran passed commuters, trying to avoid bumping into them so she wouldn't tumble herself, as the men in black pushed them out of their way. One of the men knocked over a woman who was holding a bag of groceries, making her scream out in fright.

"Move next time!" he shouted, and continued his chase with his partners.

As Amber hurried down the street, King's Cross Station came into view. It was made out of bricks and had twin-arched windows with a clock on top in the center. The entrance before the street looked to have been constructed on over the years and had bluish-green roofing with a "King's Cross" sign on it.

Amber stormed into the entrance where there were fourteen ticket queue lines. The booths were doused in blue and white with a blue and white rug lying before. She ran passed it, and began sidestepping groups of people, or softly pushing other commuters aside to where they looked on stupefied or cursed at her.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going without a ticket!" shouted a security guard.

As he was about to charge after her, one of the men in black pulled out a badge, and said, "MI-6, stand down! She's ours!"

The guard nodded his reply and let the three men in black by without question.

Amber stumbled into platform one and two moments later to see it had a vast arched skyline above, and a bridge that stood over twin tracks that gave the only access to the platform, and other platforms. She zigzagged through the crowd, head up onto the bridge, dashed into the adjacent complexes.

As she past platform four, she looked over her shoulder to see commuters being shoved aside to where they dropped his or her luggage, or were nearly thrown over the railing. A man cursed at them only to be ignored.

She glanced over her shoulder again, and as she did, she ran into someone to tumble onto the ground with the unknown occupant. She glanced at the person to see a young boy with messy black hair and round pair of glasses that had a crack on the right lens.

"Sorry," said Amber, and stood to run.

Once she made it to platform eight, she noticed a train allowing passengers on it. Amber charged down it and hurried over to one of the cars, but as she drew towards it, the doors closed. She cursed while slamming her fist against it, and looked back to see her pursuers smiling while heading down the stairs and slowly approaching her.

Amber head for the entrance to platform nine, making the three men curse again, and charge after her. As she drew near it, she noticed a sign that said platform nine and three quarters next to the entrance for platforms nine, ten and eleven. Below it was a trolley, which seemed as though part of it had past into the wall. People were gathered in front of the entrance, taking pictures of the awkward sign, and preventing her from making a run into the platforms.

She stopped in front of it to stare back at her chasers. They slowed down again and calmly walked towards her.

"Give up, February," said one of the men.

Amber figured if she were going to grow young from using too much power, now would be the best time to try it. She highlighted in blue, shocking the commuters, and disappeared.

The three men looked on shocked, as the people nearby stared on flabbergasted.

"Oh, my?" questioned a red head boy with freckles. "Did… did you see that? She just stepped onto platform nine and three quarters!"

* * *

Amber decided to travel five years into the future. The area around her seemed to be on fast forward, as people walked by swiftly and a clock nearby swung continuously. Once she reached her time, everything came to a sudden stop to where she popped in front of a toddler holding a balloon.

He blinked at her dumbfound, making Amber bend over and said, "It's a kind of magic."

She headed back to the entrance of King's Cross, and as she did, her body aged a month young, making her pleased that she hadn't turned into a child.

Amber exited the train station and gazed around the place to see little changes. A few cars had a little bit more of a boxy look to them, people were holding cell phones that were twice as wide as their predecessors were, and women were wearing wider sunglasses while guys wore U-shaped sunglasses.

She guessed that the latest fashion had returned to the retro look.

Amber walked over to a garbage bin, bent into it, and pulled out a newspaper. On the front cover was about the latest riot in Japan. It stated the death of an MI-6 agent who had turned against his organization and killed his supervisor. The paper had a picture of the traitor, which made Amber stare on flabbergasted to see it had been November Eleven.

She needed to work her way over to Japan and see what had been unfolding for the past five years. She also wondered if Hei was still alive.

Present:

Misaki stared at her mother horrified, lost for words, and in disbelief.

"How…? How?" she babbled.

"How am I alive?" her mother asked for her. "It's simple, I faked my own death."

"But that's not possible? Dad and I saw your body in the morgue. We saw the gun shot that had killed you. Father even had you laid out for final goodbyes."

"I know that, Misaki. I was there."

Misaki gasped and said, "You… were there? How?"

"Another simple answer. I have a Contractor in my possession that can morph someone's face if he chooses to. The body your father cremated and buried was someone else."

"And you had your face altered to someone I didn't know. Your death was the reason why I wanted to be a policewoman since they never caught the person. How could you and father lie to me like this?"

"Your father has no idea I'm still alive," said her mother, shaking her head. "He thinks I'm lying six feet under."

"What? But how did he become apart of the Syndicate's puppet?"

"From me. I knew he'd do what he was told to do. More to the point, Kirihara Maya is dead since I go by the name Lu now."

Misaki swallowed her uneasiness and gazed at her mother sternly.

"So all this time my own mother is the Queen of the Syndicate," she said.

Lu smiled, making Misaki uncomfortable.

"I am one of many Queens," she said. "There are dozens of Queens and Kings. There isn't one leader in the higher ups. We are kind of like the Knights of the Round Table. We range from different races as well. North American, Asian, European, African, Arabian, South American, and so on."

"Why have you all started the Syndicate?"

"Started? The Syndicate has been around for centuries."

"Been around… for centuries? That's not possible. Someone would have known a group like yours would be lurking in the dark."

"They have. That's why we've changed our names over the years. We were first known as the Knights Templar."

Misaki's eyes shuttered with fear, remembering the history of the Knights Templar living in the twelfth and fourteenth century until they were annihilated. It was rumored that they still existed in the world, and to her surprise, her mother was one of them.

Misaki straightened her pose and said, "So what did you call yourselves before the Syndicate?"

Her mother smiled.

"Many names," she said. "Some you wouldn't have heard if you had lived in that time, and others that are still known today. I'm sure you've heard about the Illuminati?" Misaki held her composure, but she was trembling on the inside.

"So why have you joined them?" Misaki asked.

"Like a few of my colleagues," Lu raised her right hand upwards while her elbow sat on the armrest, "we were approached by our predecessors, and they told us that the Syndicate was the one behind the explosions in South America and Japan.

"The Syndicate… was behind it?"

"Funny, isn't it?" Lu rested her chin on the back of her right hand. "The people who caused the destruction are the ones trying to fix it."

"So why help them then?"

"They offered my colleagues and me a chance to free our children from their torment."

"Your children?" Misaki questioned, as she slanted her eyes. "Mother, that doesn't include you since I am far from a Contractor."

"Not you, Misaki," said Lu while dropping her hand to shake her head and keep her eyes on Misaki. "Your half brother."

"My… my half brother?"

"I had another child before meeting your father. I had to give him up since I was still only a teenager."

"No. That can't be true," said Misaki, shaking her head. "You're lying."

"It's the truth, Mi-chan."

"Then why didn't you tell me that I had a brother? Did you even tell father about him?"

"It was another life, child. I had my reasons to keep it from you, and your father. I had made a mistake with a guy one night. I loved him so much, and I thought he felt the same way about me, but when I told him I was pregnant, he ran. When I had your half brother, I had to get rid of him to rid me of the pain I felt."

"I take it the pain never went away, but only got worse." Misaki's jaw line was tight, as her eyes showed distrust.

"Very good, Mi-chan," smiled Lu. "I couldn't forget about him, and I kept tabs on him behind your father's back."

"Who is he? What's his name?"

Lu sat in silence, staring at Misaki as though she was afraid to answer her question. Misaki found it awkward that her own deceiving mother was struggling with a trivial reply.

"QU025, code name, Ohio, real name Tsuya Hizumi," she breathed out finally, indicating it wasn't an insignificant response.

"QU025?" questioned Misaki. "The one who tried to frame Hei for Shu Chang's murder?"

"Yes, that would be your half brother," said a man from behind her.

Misaki turned to see a medium black-haired Asian man wearing a business suit with his collarbones showing. However, what struck Misaki the most were his blue eyes.

"Misaki, meet, Xin," said Lu.

"My real name used to be Shun Sheng," said the Asian man.

Misaki gasped at the name, as she reversed it into Shengshun

"You're… Hei's father?" she guessed.

"That is correct, Section-Chief Kirihara," he nodded.

Misaki gazed back at her mother and said, "If you are trying to save your kids, then why are you trying to kill them?"

"We would rather see them dead than have them live like monsters, Misaki," said Lu.

"That's insane!"

"That's how we see things in the Syndicate," said Xin.

Misaki fought to keep her anger in check. For years, she was trying to protect lives from the corrupt. However, the persons behind the murderous act were her mother and Hei's father.

She looked over her glasses, glared at her mother, and said, "Why have you brought me here?"

"I'm sure you can guess, Misaki," said Lu.

"You know I turned down Hourai's offer, so you wouldn't waste your breath on making me join your organization. In addition, since father doesn't know that you're alive, you wouldn't have bothered letting me know. What is your real purpose?"

"To have you and my son take over our spot so we can retire," said Xin.

"Hei and I take over your spots?" she said, glancing back at him. Misaki stared back at her mother. "We would never do such a thing since we are trying to bring you people down."

"That's a battle you two can never win. If you take over our places, we will forget everything you two have done to our organization."

Misaki's right eye twitched at the comment. What she and Hei had done was more like flicking off a mosquito from their arms.

"And if I refuse?" she asked, her voice betraying her, as she shook in fright.

"You won't remember our little talk," stated Lu.

"M.E? That had been dismantled after the Tokyo Explosion."

"The Foreign Affairs, MI-6 and CIA's M.E. were dismantled, not the Syndicate's. So I take it your answer is no?"

"Yes."

"Very well." Lu hit a button on her chair. "Tsunami, if you can come up here and escort Kirihara Misaki out of the building."

"_Yes, Lu-sama," _he said.

Moments later, Tsunami stepped from the elevator and gestured Misaki to follow. Misaki turned on her heels and began heading for the elevator. She stopped before it, looked back at her mother, and said, "Sayonara, Mother."

She stepped onto the elevator and let the doors close behind her. Lu stared at it as her heart raced faster than a stallion.

"Goodbye, Mi-chan," muttered Lu.

A hidden door to Lu's right slid aside to allow a woman through it. She was tall, looked to be in her late twenties or early thirties, and had blond hair. She wore purple lipstick, purple sunglasses, a tight red dress that came down to the mid of her calves, and a fury scarf wrapped around her neck.

"It seems I was right about my daughter," said Lu, her eyes shifting to her right. "Misaki is too wound up on serve and protect that she wouldn't think of joining us."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," said the blonde-haired woman. "She'll join us eventually. It might be best if we once more change our name since the Syndicate is getting to be well known."

"Meaning, someone has to take the downfall for it," said Xin. "If you'd like, I would be that person."

"No, I already have a guinea pig lined up."

"And who, my I ask, is this guinea pig, Madame Oreille?"

Madame Oreille merely smiled.

* * *

Misaki woke in her room as her alarm clock went off. A dream had been lingering around concerning her mother, making her try to hold onto it, but it slipped through her fingers. She opened her eyes to look at the time and saw it was a quarter to five. She sighed while turning off the noise and sat up in her bed.

She felt so exhausted, as though she had been a wake all night and had hit the sack twenty minutes ago. Suddenly, her brain began to work around at when she had gotten home since her stomach felt like it hadn't eaten in days. Misaki exited her room and scuffled into her kitchen to get a snack. She opened a cabinet, grabbed a nutrition bar, and closed the cabinet door while eating her breakfast. She opened her fridge, pulled out a gallon of milk, and turned around to close the door with her foot.

To her surprise, Hei was standing behind her.

Misaki screamed out in fright, as she threw up the milk to have it fall onto Hei's head and burst open. Hei stared on flabbergasted, as the empty carton bounced on the floor, and the milk dripped from his hair and clothes.

"Don't look at me like that!" yelled Misaki. "It's your own fault for sneaking up on me in the middle of the night!"

"What happened to you?" he asked, ignoring her lecture. She looked at him puzzled. "Yin told me you had been kidnapped in the Foreign Affairs garage."

Misaki's eyes slanted peculiarly.

"What? No I wasn't," she said. "Yin must be mistaking me with someone else."

"I highly doubt it. What's the last thing you remember, Misaki?"

"That's simple, I remember… eh…? I'm not sure. I know I stopped working on a case, but after that, everything else is a blank."

"Yin had said you were taken by men in black. She tried to follow, but she couldn't. She had said something about a force field."

"I—I don't know? I don't feel weird, or have any bruises to show I was tortured. How long was I gone?"

"Only a few hours. We need to be cautious from now on, Misaki."

Hei turned to leave. Misaki sighed and said, "Wait, Hei. I'm about to take a shower. Why… why don't you join me to clean up and get something of mine to wear that isn't wet."

Hei's grumpy expression turned into a smile.

"I would love to," he said.

* * *

After Hei and Misaki had finished with their shower, and him putting on one of her non-work clothes, he left her apartment so she could leave for work. She descended to her garage and entered her car to find her seat pushed all the way back, her mirrors readjusted, and her shifter in first instead of neutral. Her passenger seat had been drawn back to where someone would have been lying on it.

Yin had to be right. She had been kidnapped and somebody else had driven her car back here with her knocked out in the passenger seat.

Misaki pulled out a pair of gloves from her glove compartment so she wouldn't add to more fingerprints. She reset her seat and mirrors and started up her car to drive to work.

Once she reached it, she made a trip over to the forensic lab, gathered some stuff from it, and returned to her car to dust for prints.

However, she only found prints on her steering wheel, CB, and her shifter. There wasn't any on her mirrors or her seat. She figured the person used gloves since nothing else had been wiped down.

Misaki hated the Syndicate since she knew they had something to do with everything.

She headed up to her department and began working on her stuff she had stopped on yesterday. Her colleagues started to file in for work, Saitou being the first to show up, and Marcile being the last like always.

The day went by slowly with calls of Contractor activity and the Foreign Affairs spending the majority of their day chasing after them. To Misaki's surprise, Hei hadn't shown up on any of them. She guessed she had been a little too rough on him in the shower.

As the day wined down, her colleagues left for the night. Like last night, Marcile stayed to one o'clock to get more of his work done.

Once he had left, Misaki pulled up her video chat and typed in, "HarryGinny4ever," in the box. Moments later, a woman's face appeared.

"_Kirhara Misaki?"_ the lady asked.

"Yes."

"_Hello. I'm sorry, but I didn't give you my name. It's Lisa Wright. I have a lady who had worked back when Marcile was with the orphanage_." She gestured to an old lady, looking as frail as termite-infested wood, sitting in a wheelchair. _"Her name is Madeline. She doesn't speak a word of Japanese, so I have to translate."_

"All right. Have you asked Madeline-san about Marcile yet?"

Lisa looked over at Madeline and asked a question, Marcile's name being in the mix of the sentence. Madeline began to speak, as she nodded her head.

"_Oh, I remember him,"_ Lisa translated. _"And his sister. Right after those Gates appeared in Tokyo and South America. Strange thing. The group he was with that left him behind, he had kept on calling the girl mommy."_

"What did she look like?" Misaki asked.

"_She was about ten or twelve. She wore a blue baseball cap that said, 'By,' and a white sweater with twenty-six written on it. She also had orange eyes and green hair."_

Misaki's pupils widened for a second, as she recalled the incident at the shrine where she had chased Hei. She remembered seeing a girl standing before him with the same description.

"Did she give a name?" Misaki asked.

"_No, but her friends kept on calling her February,"_ Lisa translated.

November Eleven had said MI-6 that there had been an agent with that name, and she had supposedly turned to the Syndicate's side after Heaven's Gate. Everything was too much of a coincident. What connection did she have that linked Hei and Marcile?

"Is there anything else?" Misaki asked. "A picture perhaps?"

After Lisa relayed the question, the old lady shook her head and gave a response.

"_I'm sorry, but no," _informed Lisa. _"We did, but we gave it to the Fukazawas."_

"Thank you so much for your time," bowed Misaki.

Lisa returned the gesture and cut off the link. Misaki leaned back in her chair and began pondering things. She reached for her phone, dialed a number in London, and then its extension.

"_This is April, how can I help you." _

"April, this is Kirihara Misaki."

"_Misaki? Is it like four in the morning there?"_

"One. I was wondering what you can tell me about February?"

"_February? I don't know much. All I know is that she was the first Contractor. She turned out to be a double agent and started EPR. The only other thing I know is that November told me BK201 had called her Amber. I guess that had been her code name for the Syndicate."_

"What about her power and price she had to pay?"

"_She could stop time, and it was rumored she could travel through time itself. Her payment was to grow younger."_

Misaki's eyes shivered, as she gulped from a thought that had popped in her head, and didn't like what was coming together.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: To the people in Japan and to the people who have loved ones in Japan, our hearts and prayers go out to you.

Chapter Eighteen: QU025's Target

Past:

Amber had traveled across the eastern portion of the globe using small business planes by persuading pilots with chunks of cash she had stolen. One pilot, a huge man with bald hair down the middle of his head, demanded she give up more. Amber went along with it, saying she would after the flight, and as they landed in Hong Kong, she knocked him out so that she didn't have to pay a dime.

Once she arrived in Japan, Amber stepped into a taxi to take to Tokyo. As she rode through the countryside, it felt to her that nothing seemed out of place, as though everyone was calm. Obviously, the Syndicate had kept the lid on Contractors.

The taxi drove past a huge Ferris wheel, through a tunnel under the city, and then pulled off at an exit. Amber stepped from it, paid the driver, and began roaming around the place for any type of news.

She peeked in a trashcan to see if there was a newspaper in it, but she instead saw what was somebody's half eaten bean bun, McDoness bag, and a few other things she couldn't identify. Amber trotted into the subway to check if the stands had any left, but all the ones she went to had sold out.

She returned to the surface to continue her search.

"Did you hear?" a young girl said to her girlfriend. "The real stars are supposes to return tonight."

Amber came to a halt, as she let her emotions take over, and turned her head to stare at the two girls dressed in blue school uniforms.

"I did!" said the girlfriend.

Amber walked up to them and asked, "Where did you hear this?"

"Eh, well," began the young girl. "Everybody is talking about it."

"So it's just a rumor."

"I believe it," said the girlfriend. "I want to see them again. I was only five when they disappeared from the sky."

"But if they reappear, then the fake stars are going to disappear."

"So, what's wrong with that?" shrugged the girlfriend. "They're only fake."

"If the fake stars disappear, then…"

Amber caught herself from blabbering anything else.

"Then what?" questioned the young girl, seeming intrigued to know the main plot of a story.

"Eh, nothing, sorry," muttered Amber.

The girls rolled their eyes and turned to leave, as the young girl babbled, "Ah, old lady, you're so lame!"

Amber headed to the street where November Eleven had fallen. When she reached it, she saw a woman in her late twenties standing in front of flowers and beer cans. She had on a blue suit, wore oval glasses, and had her long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail.

The woman stepped away from the memorial and headed down the stairs nearby. Since curiosity got the best of her, Amber walked over to the edge and watched the woman. Something about this woman made her insides turn to where she was going to hurl. She didn't know why, but to her, it felt as though her emotions were making her jealous concerning the woman's beauty.

Suddenly, the woman in blue noticed someone and looked at the person. Amber's eyes followed hers and saw Hei heading in their direction.

Amber's heart pounded hysterically to see him again, and to see that he was alive and well. He still looked as handsome as the day she had let him sleep in her arms, but she could see in his eyes that time had taken its toll on him. They didn't look innocent, but lost and confused. His body seemed sluggish instead of full of endless energy.

She wondered if leaving him behind as she had done was the cause of his grim state. Amber wanted to correct it somehow. She was going to correct it.

Amber was about to run down the stairs to embrace him, but as she did, someone grabbed her sleeve. She craned her head around and looked to see who had the nerve to stop her.

Her eyes widened, as she stared at a young girl wearing white clothes.

"It's best you don't," her younger self said, and then pointed at Hei standing before the tunnel.

Amber looked towards it to see the woman talking with Hei who looked dumbfounded. She seemed blushful as she asked if he wanted to get something to eat.

"Are… are they a couple now?" Amber asked, finding it hard to breathe and speak simultaneously.

"In time, and you'll see for yourself soon," her younger self said.

Amber watched the two depart together. How her heart ached, seeing the second man she had fallen in love for, walk off with another woman.

Unexpectedly, she felt sick to her stomach, causing her to puke, and then faint.

Xxx

Amber woke up in a dimly lit room with young Amber kneeling and looking down at her. She was lying on a futon, and noticed the room was no bigger than a shed with a window behind her.

"You're awake finally," said young Amber.

"Wha—what happened to me?" Amber asked.

"You fainted," her younger self said.

"Wh—why?" Amber asked, as she sat up.

Young Amber looked at her puzzled, but then she smiled it off and said, "That's right, you don't know yet. You're pregnant."

"I—what?" questioned Amber, as she snapped her head around to gaze at her other self. "That can't be right?"

"It is. I have little time to explain everything, so please listen."

Young Amber began explaining the events that had happened over the years, and what she knew. Amber gazed on dumbfound, as she listened to every word.

"You'll see it for yourself as you travel through time," said young Amber, as she finished. "There is still so much to fix, and I don't think everything will come into place, that is, until you finish your quest."

"You said you've seen so many different versions of the future," said Amber. "What about Hei and our child's future?"

"They are different paths, and our son has a splendid life. However," young Amber's face slumped while she remembered a horrific image, "their paths do cross, and it isn't a good one."

"Our… son? I… I have a… boy?"

"Yes."

She had always wanted to have a boy before she became a Contractor. Even though it wasn't logical, she couldn't hold back a hint of smile that happened to cross her face, as she pictured cradling him in her arms.

Suddenly, a thought crossed Amber's mind and wondered if her price would hurt her child growing inside her.

"As long as you don't get any younger than fifteen," said young Amber, as if she could read her thoughts. "I'm sorry, but I have to get ready for the final battle that will be rising. Take care of yourself."

Young Amber stood to depart the room.

Amber sat quietly, thinking about what her younger self had said. She then placed her hand on her stomach to see if she could feel Hei's and her son growing inside her.

Present:

QU025 walked through a crowded subway in Ebisu, puffing on a cigarette while bumping into individuals as though they were mere obstacles. He knocked a woman's groceries out of her hands to have them scatter along the ground to be stepped on, and then rammed into a man to where he turn around to chase after him.

"Hey, you! You going to apologies for bumping into me?" the man demanded.

QU025 stopped in his tracks, spun on his heels, and sucker punched the man in the nose. The man's head snapped back while he fell backwards and had blood pour out of his nostrils as he cupped it.

"There's your apology," said QU025, and continued walking through the cluttered subway.

He entered a store to head down an aisle to grab a box of coconut pockey, and trotted to the back to snatch a coke from the store's fridge. QU025 waltzed up before the counter where a bald man that had a few strands over it stood with a small television behind him broadcasting the news.

The bald man bowed, as QU025 slammed his stuff on the table, and began ringing up the price. QU025 leaned sideways against the counter, stared up at the television, and listened to an anchorman who was wearing big square glasses talk about a Contractor on the loose.

"Something else, these Contractors," said the clerk. QU025 stared back at him with a blank look. "Hope I never see one."

The bald man turned to face up at the television.

"_If you see this man, please call the Foreign Affairs at once,"_ said the anchorman, and then showed a picture of QU025.

The bald man gasped in fright from recognizing the picture, which made QU025 glow blue and take over the bald man's body. The next thing he did, he made the bald man bite off his tongue. QU025 released his power to let the bald man grab at his mouth, as blood spewed from it, and slammed against the back wall while choking on his own blood.

QU025 grabbed his unpaid stuff, exited the store to head over to a platform, and stepped onto a waiting train.

A woman, carrying her two-year-old son, walked into the store moments later. Within seconds, she screamed out in fright.

Misaki sat at her desk contemplating the conversation she had had with Lisa and the old lady. It couldn't be true what she was thinking, but it had to be. It explained Marcile's appetite and his DNA matching part of Hei's DNA. However, it still boggled Misaki's mind at the thought. It felt like she was in the movie Terminator.

She wondered how she would tell Hei about it. More to the point, should she mention about it or leave it. Misaki thought it best to ignore the situation since she figured it had already been done.

Her phone rang on her desk. She picked it up, placed the receiver to her ear, and said, "This is Kirihara."

"_Misaki, QU025 is active around Ebisu,"_ saidKanami on the other end.

"Understood." Misaki hung up the phone and stood. "Get your stuff together and head for Ebisu."

Saitou, Kouno and Marcile did what they were instructed and descended into the garage. The three men climbed into Saitou's car as Misaki settled into hers, and then drove towards the scene.

"_We have gotten a report from the_ _local police in Ebisu that someone had bit off his own tongue in a store in the subway," _said Ootsuka through the CB. _"They think it might have been the work of QU025."_

"Understood," said Misaki. "Saitou, Kouno, Marcile, you guys watch yourselves around him if we locate him."

"_Understood, Chief," _her colleagues said.

They arrived at the scene fifteen minutes later. They exited the cars to descend into the subway and see a section taped off. The Foreign Affairs walked up to it to show a police officer their badges in which he allowed them to pass. They entered the small store and spotted the victim sitting against the wall, as the CSI unit took pictures of him.

A detective came up to Misaki looking ecstatic and said, "We got a call from a woman on the Hibiya line. She said QU025 is on it."

"Where are they heading, and where are they now?" Misaki asked.

"She said they're heading east towards Ginza."

"Keep me posted on where he gets off! Marcile, you're with me!"

"Yes, Chief!" said Marcile.

Xxx

QU025 stood on the subway, as a woman kept on glancing at him. She had pulled out her phone a few minutes ago to dial a number and started talking on it, as her eyes looked at him occasionally. He knew she had recognized him and she had contacted the authorities.

He hated tattle tails. Didn't they know when they did such a thing it irritated the person more.

The train pulled into Kasumigaseki, which was four stations east of Ebisu, and opened its door. QU025 exited the train with her following him. QU025 snorted under his breath while ascending the stairs. Once he reached the streets, he hid around a corner to wait for his prey.

She exited the station, still rambling on the phone, and walked down the sidewalk looking for him. QU025 snuck up behind her and used his power, freaking out the woman as her body froze, and frightening everybody else present.

"You didn't think I noticed?" he said.

"Please, don't," she begged. "I have a son. He only has me since his father had died two years ago."

"You should have thought about that first instead of bugging me."

A truck was blazing down the narrow street heading towards them. QU025 made the woman climb over the railing, and as he was about to force her in front of the truck, he was shot in the shoulder. He released his hold on the woman, turned around in pain, and noticed the Foreign Affairs chief woman pointing her smoking gun at him.

He gasped at her presence, but he shrugged it off, as he highlighted in blue. However, before he could use his power, someone jumped him from behind, and threw him to the ground. The next thing he noticed was a blindfold being placed around his eyes, and then his hands were cuffed.

"I don't think your powers work if you can't see the person," said a man.

Xxx

Still blindfolded and his bullet wound patched up, QU025 was escorted into the Foreign Affairs and taken up to the fourth floor. He was guided into an interrogation room to be seated across from Misaki. His hands were cuffed to the table to keep him from escaping or attacking Misaki.

The men that had led QU025 in bowed and exited the room while closing the door. Silence filled the room as Misaki let her prisoner feel the pressure that was developing for him.

"Why did you kill Shu Chang and make it look like BK201 had done it?" she asked.

"Shu Chang?" he replied, stupidly.

"The person you killed, and tried to make it look like BK201 had done it!"

"Oh that moron. Sorry, but I feel kind of light headed after losing all that blood from your bullet."

"Just answer the question."

"Because I was ordered to."

"Ordered to?" Misaki's right eyelid rose. "Aren't you the leader of the Subvert Nationality?"

QU025 snorted.

"Far from it, Officer Kirihara," he stated. "I'm more like the leader's right-hand man. I do his bidding, as if I was a Samurai and he was my Lord."

"Who is your leader?"

"Tom Cruise. You know the guy, right? He played in that movie called, 'The last Samurai.'"

"Your jokes won't save you here."

"It wasn't meant to be a joke. I don't like to joke since it has no rational meaning to me. What does have meaning for me is food. I haven't eaten anything since this morning. You got anything greasy to eat here?"

Marcile burst into the room displeased to have Misaki look at him flabbergasted. He slammed his palms on top of the table to glare down at QU025.

"Stop with these games!" he said. "Because of your antics, innocent people are being killed."

"You're the cop who snuck up behind me and put this stupid blindfold on me, aren't you," said QU025.

"That I did, but I wish I had another one for your mouth," bellowed Marcile.

"Detective Fukazawa, how dare you barge in on my interrogation!" shouted Misaki, as she stood.

"Fukazawa?" questioned QU025, while tilting his head slightly, as if he was trying to hear something clearly. "Mar… see… le… Fukazawa?"

Misaki and Marcile looked at QU025 puzzled at saying his name formally pronounced femininely.

"Mar… sil," corrected Marcile.

"Mar… sil? Oh, now I get it!" QU025 smirked. "Marcile, which means 'Mir-a-cle' in English with the words scrambled." He chuckled to himself. "I've been looking for you for the past nine years. What luck! I had encountered that name in the States before, but I ignored it since it's meant to be a girl's name. Poor guy that I had killed since I thought it was a dead end." He laughed.

Marcile pulled away from Misaki, and grabbed QU025 by his collar to pull him up to his face.

"Marcile!" shouted Misaki.

"What do you know about me and why have you been looking for me? Who are you?" Marcile demanded.

"An old friend of your mom's," he smiled. "She was smart to hide you like she had done. All this time I've been looking for a nine year-old boy, but yet you're almost a man."

"Start talking and stop speaking in riddles!"

Misaki grabbed Marcile, pulled him away from QU025, and dragged him out of the room. She slammed the door shut and stared at her rookie cop displeased.

"That wasn't called for," stated Misaki. "He's messing with your head, Marcile."

"He knew about the name on my adoption papers," said Marcile, his right hand gesturing towards the interrogating room. "How'd he know that?"

Misaki held her composure, knowing the reason why, but she instead said, "I don't know, but you need to settle down. Now go get something to cool off before I suspend you."

Marcile's lips curled in frustration and did what was ordered. Misaki reentered the room, rounded the table to retake her seat and glared at him.

"The Syndicate is going to be getting their hands on you soon to get the information out of you that you've gotten from Shu Chang. If you tell me who your boss is, I can keep you safe from them."

"I won't be in here for long," he said. "I'm sure my boss is making preparations for my escape as we speak."

Misaki stared at him harshly for a few seconds before standing to exit the room.

"You guys can take him away," she said to the guards.

They nodded, entered the room, and exited it while escorting QU025 down the hall. He turned his head, as though trying to stare through his blindfold, to gaze at Misaki and said, "I loved our chat, Misaki-chan!"

The guards took him to the lower levels where they placed him in a small rectangular cell. QU025 sat on a cot, smiled at the guards as they closed his cell door, and waited patiently.

Five hours later, someone reopened the cell door and stepped into it. The person pulled off QU025's blindfold, causing QU025 to blink rapidly and smile at a man standing in the shadows.

"Real stupid using your power," he said.

The shadowed man threw a key at QU025 so he could take off the cuffs.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help it since the moron saw my face." shrugged QU025. "At least I got to see my baby sister, even if it was for a few minutes."

"And I'm surprised she didn't figure she was related to you when you said you wanted greasy food."

"I couldn't help it. You heard what I had said about that cop, Marcile?"

"Yes. I can see where you and Misaki got your smarts."

"Thanks for the comment. So you want me to go after him?"

"No, I got LM129 and MK001 on him."

"Those two? Why them? I can handle Marcile. I owe him anyways for sneaking up behind me."

"They will take care of the boy. That's final. Now get out of here. I have the videos looping at the moment. Nobody should know you're gone until the morning." He threw a set of keys with a remote lock on it. "There's a silver Camry waiting for you in the garage."

QU025 stood, ran out of the cell, and headed up into the garage level. He scanned the lot, saw the silver 2006 Toyota Camry, and walked over to it. He unlocked the door, sat in the driver seat, and drove off.

The rest of the day had dragged on for Misaki as she filled out a report on QU025.

At the end of the day, Misaki noticed a text from Hei to meet him at the Imperial Palace. She hurried down to the garage, entered her car, and drove out of it to scurry through the city with the lights shining off her car. Tokyo's streets and sidewalks were still full of life in the darkened hours to ensure the city didn't sleep. A few buildings were pitch-black, while others had sections of lights turned on.

She arrived at her destination to pull up to the side of the road. Trees lined up along the side with a moat beside them. A white wall with a slight angle rose from the moat with a wooden bridge crossing it in the center. Hei was leaning back against the bridge's railing, waiting for her. She walked up to stand next to him and gazed at the wall that had once kept its former lord safe.

"Did you get any information about what my contact wanted to tell me?" he asked.

"No, he wouldn't speak," said Misaki. "But I have a clue. It has to do with Marcile."

"Marcile? He's just an American kid."

"That kid is more important than you would think."

"Like how?" he challenged.

Misaki stared at him since she couldn't bring herself to tell Hei about Marcile.

"Well, um, he's smarter than Kouno and Saitou," she said instead.

"Yin's smarter than they are."

Misaki frowned, and continued with, "He's the youngest Foreign Affairs member in history."

"And you're the youngest Chief in history. So what?"

"He can handle his own against a Contractor, like he did with QU025 today."

"More like he got lucky. I heard he got beaten up by a schoolgirl and barley defended himself against an intruder."

"A—a schoolgirl? When?"

"Back when he helped find that girl's father."

"I knew he was lying about falling down the stairs at your old place. But that's beside the point…"

"The point is… he's just a no-good child who thinks he can handle being on the Foreign Affairs and take down every Contractor in sight."

Misaki felt anger soar through her veins when her soul mate interrupted her. Saitou and Kouno were smart enough not to interrupt her.

"And he's your son, Hei!" she yelled.

Misaki looked on startled, realizing she had blurted out Amber's secret, as Hei glared back at her with his eyes wide open.

Marcile stepped from the JR line to head for his apartment. He couldn't stop thinking about QU025 and wondered how he had known his name? Who was he? He wanted to do his own interrogation on him, but Misaki wouldn't let him within fifty yards of him.

As he trotted down the back alley, he noticed he had extra pairs of feet following him. Marcile pulled out his gun, turned around while aiming it, and saw two men a few meters behind him.

"Who are you?" Marcile asked. "Do you work for QU025?"

The two men ignored him and glowed blue. Marcile's eyes bulged and fired a shot to have it stop before them and drop like a rock. He fired again to have the other man create a black hole to swallow it up.

Marcile cursed and turned to run off. However, he took two steps before his body stiffened, as if a Harry Potter character had used a wand to stupefy him. The two Contractors walked up to him while Marcile wondered what was going to happen to him. One of the Contractors wrapped his arm around his neck to get a grip of him, preventing him from escaping when the other Contractor released him.

Suddenly the two Contractors' eyes rolled up into their sockets and fell unconscious, as Marcile stumbled forward from being released. He looked around puzzled, and then noticed a girl in a Hogwarts schoolgirl outfit nearby. He gasped at her appearance, recognizing her as a teenage version of the girl from the photo in his adoption file.

"Wotcher, Harry," she said, causing Marcile to blink at her dumfounded.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: Requiem of the Past

Past:

In Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Michigan Campus near State Street, the sun shined down on a breezy afternoon with the autumn leaves falling and blowing in its invisible grasp. College students walked hastily to classes in order to escape the cold.

Hei, wearing a Michigan coat to blend in, sat on a bench in a one-acre park, with Mao lying next to him surrounded by buildings.

He stared at his target that was a six-foot man wearing a gray shirt, kaki pants, and a Detroit Lions hat, who was talking with a short, bald and rounded like a balloon man with a goatee.

The Syndicate had Intel that the man had orders to meet with someone to pick up a package. They wanted it and ordered Hei to retrieve the item.

The bald man gave the tall man an envelope and then departed. Mao looked up towards them, and then up at Hei.

"Time to move," he said.

Hei stood and followed the tall man, as Mao traveled in his wake. They crossed the street, walked through a small open-arched Mall lot, making Hei gently push commuters aside so he could keep up with his prey, and exited the other side. The roads were two lane and narrow; giving the feeling that they were walking the streets of Japan.

The tall man headed down an alley in which Hei did as well. Once he did, he noticed the tall man had disappeared.

"Yyaahh!" shouted the tall man from behind.

Hei turned around and then ducked, as the tall man swung a broken piece of two-by-four wood over him. Hei straightened up and socked the tall man across the face. The tall man stumbled, which gave Hei the chance to grab his forehead, and threw him to the ground. He thought about electrocuting the man, but he hesitated.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him, Hei!" shouted Mao.

The tall man kneed Hei in his stomach, causing him to cringe and roll on his back from the pain, and letting the tall man run off.

Hei got on his knees and glared on angrily, as Mao stepped before him.

"Why didn't you use your power?" he asked.

"Mind your business, fur ball!" barked Hei. He placed his finger to his right ear. "Liu, where is he?"

"_Heading towards bookstore,"_ said a young girl's voice. _"Entered garage nearby."_

Hei headed for the bookstore that wasn't far. He located the place on Liberty Street with a theater across from it, and the garage beside the bookstore that was separated by another street. He entered the garage, passing the gate with a staircase to his right.

"_Third floor,"_ said Liu.

Hei ran up the stairs as a couple descended and shoved them aside.

"HEY!" they shouted.

He ignored their rant while continuing upwards; he reached the floor and scanned the area. To his right, the garage's ramp ascended, and straight ahead, the level traveled down to the second floor. Cars were lined up along the walls, some of them compact cars, with Michigan stickers, license plates, flags, and other things.

In the distance, Hei could see Liu's spectre before a red Mustang.

"_He's in that car," _she said.

Suddenly the car squawked its back tires, zipped out of the parking spot, and shot at Hei as the driver straightened it out. Hei whipped out his line to hook it to one of the water pipes, and soared up to land on top of the car.

The car turned sharply around the tight bend, flew down the second floor, and was about to drift around the next corner, but it instead slammed into another car rounding the corner. Hei was thrown from the vehicle to soar out of the garage. He whipped out his line to wrap it around the cement opening, and swung sideways to reenter the garage. The person in the other car lay unconscious, but the tall man seemed uninjured as he tried to exit his car as steam embedded from both cars. To the two driver's luck, their airbags had deployed.

The tall man stumbled out of his car and tried to run, but his leg had been broken from the crash. Hei approached him slowly, making the tall man look back at Hei terrified.

"No, please don't kill me," he begged. "I have a wife and kids!"

Hei placed his hands on the tall man's forehead. He hesitated again, not wanting to do the thing he hated so much. However, the image of Amber's betrayal that had ripped his heart into pieces swelled in his head, and then pictured killing her.

His power came to life; instantly killing the tall man.

Hei searched his victim's pocket, found the envelope and departed the garage. Once he was at a safe distance with Mao on his tail, Hei sat against a wall. Knowing that he is a Contractor now, he felt he had to pay a price, and closed his eyes like his sister had always done.

Xxx

Twenty minutes east of Ann Arbor in the city of Taylor, Hei stood on a dock over a small pond, fishing in a park called Heritage Park. Mao sat next to him with Liu standing like a statue while gazing at nothing.

Liu was short and thin with long blond hair and dark eyes. She wore a chest length red dress and rectangular glasses.

Ducks and Geese floated calmly above the surface, as couples walked in arms or other people walked their dogs with their kids. A thin and muscular average-sized western man in his forties approached them, and then leaned against the railing with his back to Hei's.

"You get it?" he asked.

"Yes. It's in the tackle box," said Hei.

The muscular man bent over, picked up the box, and said, "Good work. We'll contact you with another mission soon."

He turned on his heels and left. Mao watched him while whipping his tail.

Present:

Hei stared at Misaki baffled for a few seconds. He was speechless from her comment, not because she had said Marcile was his kid, but because she would think such a trivial thing.

She averted her eyes while pursing her lips; knowing the damage had been done, and looked back at him to say, "You were with someone during your time in South America, right?"

Hei's right eye twitched.

"How would you know that?" he asked. "The only people who knew that are dead."

"Was her name Amber, who also goes by the name of February?"

Hei glared at her disbelievingly.

"Yes," he said.

"She was the same person who I saw at the shrine where you were at," she said. "You two shared a night together, right?"

Hei pondered on her thoughts, as he remembered that one night he had slept with Amber.

"Y—yes," he said, making Misaki feel a little jealous. "But even still… it—it's still not possible. Marcile's nineteen, and if Amber did have my kid, he'd only be at least eight or nine."

She put her feelings aside and looked into his eyes.

"Amber's power was to stop and travel through time," said Misaki. "I believe she went back in time to protect him and give him a normal life. Imagine what his life would be like if people knew a Contractor and a human had had a child."

Hei pondered on her words.

"Further more," continued Misaki, "I've also compared his hair to yours, and there are similarities."

Hei looked at her baffled and then said, "You did what? You went behind my back and did what?"

"Don't criticize me of what I did, Hei. Don't forget you had lied to me about you being a Contractor."

"I never lied since you never asked me, and this is a different story." Hei looked away from her for a second and then stared back at her. "Have you told him yet?" She shook her head. "Keep it that way."

"What do you plan on doing?"

"If—if you're right about him. I—I don't want to… to get in the way of how he's living."

Hei stepped away from Misaki's side and disappeared into the night. Misaki wondered what she should do about the situation at hand. For now, she would leave it be.

Marcile sat on a bench next to the girl he figured was his sister. The green-haired girl looked at him with a pleasant smile.

"You have grown into a young and handsome man," she said, her eyes taking in every centimeter of his form. "You must have a lot of girls fluttering all over you."

Marcile chuckled and said, "One or two."

Her smile turned into a gleaming white smile. He cleared his throat from embarrassment, looked at her, and fought on what to ask her, as he glanced away.

"I know you must have a lot of questions to ask me, so please ask me," she said, looking concerned.

Marcile met her stare for a second, a humble feeling overwhelming him, and smiled lightly.

"So… ah—my name is… Harry?" he asked.

She nodded, and said, "Mother liked the Harry Potter books, and thought that that would be a good name to give you."

"I take it we're half siblings since you're Caucasian and I'm Asian. Eh, half Asian."

She nodded again and said, "Your father is Chinese, and mother was English."

"Was?" His eyes widened in shock. "You mean… she's… dead?"

"I'm sorry, but yes," nodded his sister, somberly. "She died five years ago."

"How?"

She let out a light sigh while looking away, and closed her eyes. As she fought to find the right words to say, it looked to Marcile as though she was grieving of what was to come instead of what had happened.

"A terrible disease," she finally said. She opened up her eyes to look at him. "No matter how hard she tried to fight it, it was bound to take her life."

"Wh—what type of disease was it?"

"It had something to do with her aging too fast. Mother was only in her fifties when she passed."

Marcile sat quietly to take in what his sister was telling him. How life could be cruel, but it was something he had accepted. Although, it didn't mean he had to like it.

"But my dad is still alive," he said. "Where is he?"

"I don't know," said the girl, shaking her head.

"Do you have maybe a clue to go off of?"

"No, I'm sorry."

Marcile frowned at running into a dead end. However, he noticed his sister seemed to be hiding something, but he didn't wish to push the issue.

"You're name is Amber, right?" Marcile asked. She nodded. "Amber-onesan…"

"Amber is fine," interrupted Amber.

"Why—why did my parents give me up?"

"They didn't. Your dad doesn't know you exist, and mom gave you up for adoption because she couldn't afford to keep you. Believe me when I say this;" she paused for a long period of time, her chest sinking in heavily from a tormenting memory, "it was hard on her to give you up."

"So the guy in the picture that was left behind is your dad, right?" guessed Marcile.

"No, he was a friend of mom's."

Marcile nodded with a small smirk. A thought popped in his head, causing him to narrow his eyes, and asked, "Why didn't she leave a picture of herself?"

"She thought it best this way."

"Why? I mean, I don't even know what she looks like and I most likely will never know."

"She looks like me. I have the same eyes, hair color, and facile features."

Marcile fixed his attention on her every aspect, making a photographic memory of her so that he could hold onto it. Amber is a beautiful woman, and he could imagine his mother just as beautiful. As he continued to stare at her, he noticed two things about her. One: she looked so much like C.C. from Code Geass, and two: her age.

"Wh—why do you look younger than me? You look as though you were five years older than me in the picture?"

"That's because I have always looked younger than my age," she smiled.

"So how old are you?"

"Harry," whimpered Amber, giving him a scolding smile. "Two things you shouldn't ask a woman. First is her age, and second is her weight."

"That's what my mother always said." Amber's smile faded from his comment. "Oh, I mean, my adopted mother."

"Oh, what is she like?"

"She _was _sweet, charming, and a wonderful mother," he said while averting his eyes. "She passed just a little while back."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You must have been devastated."

"I was, but I know she's in a better place with my adopted father." He focused his attention on her again. "How did you know to look for me here in Japan? I mean, I was adopted in the States, and my name was completely changed."

"Luck, I guess." She shrugged.

Marcile found her comment odd, but it wasn't something he was too concerned about, and pushed it aside.

"So—what have you been doing these past years? What's your occupation? Do you have someone special? Am I an Uncle by any chance?"

Amber chuckle and blushed.

"Traveling, to your first question. I've done so much I can't remember when I stopped to smell the roses, which answers your last questions, no. Although, I did have someone special ten years ago, but different things happened between us. I did happen to run into him a while back. He's still cute."

"What's his name?"

"Wh—why do want to know his name?" she asked, her eyes slanting peculiarly. Amber smiled sheepishly and teasingly asked, "Going to arrest him for breaking my heart."

"Noooo!" he whined. "I—I just want to get to know you."

"Oh. Um, Hei."

"Hei? What kind of name is Hei?"

"It's Chinese. It means black."

"Oh!"

Marcile glared away from Amber, recalling that she had said his father is Chinese, so he was apart of that culture. His thoughts began to dwell on him, making Marcile wonder what his old man was like.

"Can you tell me what my father looks like?" he asked.

"All I can say is this; just look in the mirror. You have his eyes and hair, and you have his appetite. What I see the most in you is his personality."

Marcile sat in silence for a few seconds, and then smiled.

"And there's one right there," said Amber, leaning slightly to gaze at him. "You also have his smile. That's what I loved about him the most. May you always smile like that."

Marcile looked at her puzzled. It wasn't uncommon for people to say the word love to family members; even if they were stepparents or stepchildren, but the way she had said it, it seemed as though she herself was passionately in love with his father.

"I'm sorry, but I must be going," said Amber, as she stood and brushed her skirt. "I have a long endurance to deal with, and I can't stay here any longer."

"Go? But you just returned into my life," stated Marcile, as he stood. "I have so many questions to still ask too."

She sighed, placed her right hand on his shoulder, and said, "Harry, my boy, some questions are best left unsaid."

"But… don't go! I want to do things with you. Catch up on lost time. I know! There's an Anime convention coming up. We could go together. Maybe we could cosplay as Lelouch vi Britannia and C.C." Marcile glanced at the ground and murmured, "Although, it might be a little weird since we're siblings."

Amber smiled, making Marcile look back at her.

"Harry, I love you dearly, but we were destined for different paths." She leaned forward, and kissed him on the forehead to have him close his eyes. He let her soft touch quiver down his spine, giving him a sense of relaxation that his adopted mother had given him when he was a child. She then softly whispered into his ear, "You were the best thing that had happened in my life. Goodbye."

He quickly opened his eyes so not to miss a single second of her departure, but she was gone. He glanced to his right to see the two knocked out Contractors, looked to his left only spotting a light pole, and then behind him to gaze at a vast empty alley.

It seemed as though she had magically vanished from thin air.

Xxx

The next day, Misaki sat across from the two Contractors that had attacked Marcile. Shock collars were placed on them to prevent them from using their powers.

"Why did you two attack Detective Fukazawa?" she asked. They stayed silent. "I take it after QU025 escaped, he told you about him and ordered you two to attack him."

"It wasn't QU025," said the man who could stop things.

"Shut up, you!" shouted the other man. "We are to keep our mouths shut until our boss gets us free! Oh, crap."

Misaki narrowed her eyes at them and wondered if there was a spy inside her department.

"So what QU025 had said was true," continued Misaki. "There's someone else who is running Subvert Nationality. Name the person and I'll make a deal with you two."

"Like what kind of deal? A reduced sentence or a spot on the Foreign Affairs?" questioned the black hole Contractor. "Sorry, but we'll pass since we won't be sitting here forever."

Knowing she wasn't going to get anywhere with her captives, Misaki stood and left the room. Marcile exited the watch room to step before her.

"Let me talk with them," he demanded.

"Out of the question, Detective," stated Misaki, as she shook her head. "I can't have you around them since you're connected to them somehow. You shouldn't have been watching the interrogation to begin with."

"Chief, please."

"Sorry, Marcile, but the answer remains no."

Saitou came charging down the hallway, stopped before Marcile and Misaki, and said, "We got Contractor activity in Ueno."

"Take Kouno and Fukazawa with you to check things out," ordered Misaki.

"But, Chief?" Marcile spat out.

"No buts, Detective. You will assist Saitou and Kouno and that's that."

Marcile's shoulders slumped while releasing out a breath of frustration and bowed he would do what was demanded. He left Misaki's side with Saitou; making her watch him with a keen eye, and wondered if he got his attitude from Hei or Amber.

Xxx

Saitou, Kouno and Marcile returned to headquarters ushering a pig-looking man into the fourth floor and down a hall to a cell. Saitou was covered in slime and slipping around the place, as if he was walking on ice, and fell a couple of times.

After the prisoner was secured, he began to break dance to fulfill his payment, as Saitou headed for the restroom to change clothes.

Once he had changed, he sat at his desk to fill out a report, along with Marcile and Kouno.

As the day ended, Marcile stood from his chair while saying goodnight to Misaki, showing his displeasure he couldn't talk with the prisoners, and entered the elevator to ride it down the lobby. He exited the building to head over to the JR Line, and walked onto an awaiting train. He took a hold of a pole to balance his body and stare out the windows, as it began its journey through the city.

The lights from the buildings and lamppost sparkled in the night to give it an elegant glow. Along the streets, cars, mini vans, and compact trucks hustled along, while commuters strolled by without a care in the world.

How it seemed peaceful out in the world, but in reality, it was hell on Earth; at least for him these past few days. He wondered what it would have been like if the Gates had never appeared. It had to be a better world than this.

He shook the thought away, remembering his mother saying, _"Don't wish for something you think might be better, it could be ten times worse."_

The train pulled into his station and opened its doors to let off its passengers. Marcile trotted down the stairs, departed the station, and headed for his place. As he approached his apartment, he noticed a familiar face gazing through a telescope at the stars. He narrowed his eyes while curling up his lips in discuss and walked up to him.

"Li Shengshun?" he asked.

The man with black hair, blue eyes, wearing a blue coat over a white button up shirt and blue jeans, pulled away from the lenses, looked over at Marcile baffled, and said, "Yes."

"Aren't you supposed to be in China?"

"Can I ask who you are and why you would think that?"

Marcile pulled out his badge to show it and said, "Detective Fukazawa of the Foreign Affairs."

"Eh? Foreign Affairs! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so rude. Eh, you're not going to arrest me, are you?"

"Depends. Do you have papers to show you're in this country legally?"

"Ah, yes I do!" Li began to fish into his inside pocket. "Eh, not there. Maybe…" He started patting his outside pocket, frowned, and scuffled through them. "Eh?"

"No papers?"

Li smiled sheepishly while scratching the back of his head, but then a thought came to him, and reached into his pants back pocket to pull out his paperwork. He handed it over to Marcile in which he scanned through it. He frowned since he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary and handed it back to Li.

"What's your business here in Japan, Shengshun-san?" Marcile asked.

"I'm visiting."

"Visiting? Visiting whom?"

"Eh, old classmates from my school days here."

"Anybody else you might be seeing? Section-Chief Kirihara Misaki, perhaps?"

"Kirihara Misaki?" questioned Li, as he tried to remember where he had heard the name.

"Brown hair, brown eyes, wears glasses, and happens to be a police officer for the Foreign Affairs."

"OH! Kirihara-san?" Li's eyes lit up, as a light seemed to have been turned on in his head. "No. I don't think I could. She's beautiful, she's also scary."

"I know what you mean," replied Marcile, as he started scratching the back of his head.

He shook away his ignorant emotion, wondering where it had come from, and narrowed his eyes to see if Li was outsmarting him. Li flinched back slightly, surprised at Marcile's sudden change of mood. Unable to read anything off him, Marcile let it go and straightened his composure.

"I heard you got a big appetite, how about we get something to eat?" Marcile gestured.

"Eh, you're not asking me out on a date, are you?" Li asked petrified.

"Far from it. I'm sure the people at Homerun House would like to see you again."

"Oh, sure," Li nodded.

The two men headed for the Homerun House, and entered the small place with Rika and her father looking at Li flabbergasted.

"Li-kun! Welcome back!" they shouted.

"We haven't seen you in years!" chimed Rika's father. "Business has been slow until Marcile-san arrived. Where've you been?"

"Immigration problems," said Li, as he and Marcile sat at a table

Rika's father began cooking their usual, which happened to be the same dish.

A few minutes later, they were served four bowls each, which made them dig into their food. Marcile ate his food faster than usual, as though he was competing against Li as the fastest eater alive. Li smiled at his competitive edge while Rika stared on horrified.

Twenty minutes into their meal, and four stacks of bowls on the tables and floor, the front door opened.

"EEHH! No way! You both are into guys now!" shouted Kiko.

Li spewed out his food all over Rika, as Marcile pounded on his chest since a piece of food had lodged in his throat. In the back, Rika's father was pointing at his daughter laughing hysterically. Once the noodle slipped down Marcile's tube, he stood and gazed at Kiko. She was wearing a blue suit similar to Misaki's, but she had on a knee length skirt instead.

"Of course not!" he shouted.

Rika grabbed a napkin and began dabbing at her face from the soup and noodles pouring down her face. She then turned around and headed into the backroom.

"Then why are you two sitting across from each other?" Kiko pointed out.

"A competition match at who could eat the most," stated Marcile while returning to his food.

Kiko sat at a table behind them while crossing her legs, ordered a meal once Rika returned, and watched the two men down their meals.

After a dozen bowls, Marcile threw down his towel. However, Li kept on going, which made Marcile frown displeased. He watched as Li easily passed his title and continued with more bowls.

Once he had two-dozen stacks of bowls piled up, he stated he was done.

"Eh, is that it, Li-san?" Rika asked.

"Is that it?" questioned Marcile.

"Ah, I usually eat more than this," said Li. "I had eaten a couple of hours earlier."

Marcile's eyes were slanted with his lips lopsided as he pondered on how someone could stuff so much food down his or her throat. He would get full, but he wondered if Li's bottomless pit ever filled up.

"You're going to get fat when you hit thirty," Marcile found himself saying.

Li smiled as he paid for his meal and left the restaurant with Kiko blushing at him. Marcile sighed, threw down yen for his food, and ran out of the place to catch up with Li.

"Why is Misaki keeping yours and her relationship a secret?" he asked.

Li stopped and turned to face Marcile to say, "Eh?"

"Please spare me the act. Just tell me why? Are you some kind of criminal over in China and she had found out about it? Did you two work out arrangements to make people think you had left Japan so you wouldn't be busted later? Did she somehow put that paperwork together just incase someone saw you here?"

Li blinked at him stupidly, and then smiled.

"Goodnight, Detective Marcile Fukazawa."

Marcile gasped, knowing for a fact that he hadn't given out his first name.

Using the distraction, Li turned down a nearby alley. Marcile snapped out of his daze, and ran after him. As he turned the corner, he noticed there was no sight of Li. He ran back to the park to see if he could catch him there, but his telescope was also gone.

Who was this guy?

Yin kneeled quietly with her finger in a pan of water with Hei's telescope lying against the wall nearby. She had retrieved it after Hei and his son went over to the Homerun House.

Hei entered the room, closed the door while removing his shoes, and sat down to gaze over at Yin.

"Have those two Contractors been freed yet?" he asked.

"Yes," nodded Yin. "But I couldn't see who since it was too dark."

"Were you seen?"

Yin shook her head.

Hei leaned back in the chair and thought about his short time with his son. He knew it was a risk, but he had to spend some time with him.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty: The Head of Subvert Nationality

Past:

Amber traveled through time to see the events that had happened through out the next ten years. She was astounded to know that Hei had gained Bai's power, and wondered how. Perhaps it had something to with the meteor shard. She wanted to see Hei, but she feared it would be too dangerous.

She spied on the Syndicate's movement to understand their intentions. She was lost for words to find out that Havoc was still alive, but her life was going to end at the hands of November Eleven.

Amber was able to see the future beyond the Tokyo explosion. Even though she saved her kind from annihilation, destruction and devastation continued to flood the world from the Syndicate's corruptness.

Amber traveled eight years into the future.

She wore a red shirt and blue pants with a blue baseball cap, as she snuck through an abandon warehouse window in the countryside of Japan. She had gathered some information on a new group that had been forming the past few years.

The place was wide and tall enough to fit a commercial airplane inside, had stained glass windows along the balcony on both sides, and an arch roof. The ground floor was damped, causing mold to form throughout the warehouse.

Amber noticed two hovering cars in the middle section of the build; one was red and the other white, forcing her to hide behind a crate to observe the situation. The red car doors opened to have two men exit it, and then a man and woman stepped from the white vehicle.

Amber paid no attention to the men, but focused on the woman with blond hair and purple lipstick.

"A pleasure meeting you again, Madame Oreille," bowed one of the two men.

"No need for the formalities, Mr. Smith," said the woman named Oreille. "I take it the CIA has tracked down Mr. BK201."

"We have a lead on him. He's been spotted somewhere in the mountains of India."

"So what's with the meeting here?"

"He's been giving us problems, and we were wondering if Section Three could give us a hand on the matter. Perhaps you could lend us your two top agents."

"You want agents Ichinose Yayoi and Mina Hazuki."

"Yes, they would make great assets to our causes."

Madame Oreille stood in silence for a few seconds before saying, "Very well. I can give you them. Ichinose is itching to see Mr. BK201 again. Having her fired from Section Four was a brilliant idea."

"When can my unit expect them?"

"Give them a couple of days. I'll call Mr. Kobayashi to make up the arrangements."

"Very well. It was nice doing business with you again."

The guy named Mr. Smith bowed and reentered his car with his companion. Madame Oreille started heading back to her car, but stopped to tilt her glasses downward, stare up at where Amber was hiding and smiled. Amber flinched, wondering how long she knew she had been there.

Madame Oreille entered her car, closed the door, and drove off. Amber headed over to the window she had entered, shuffled through it, and climbed down to reach the ground level.

She started to use her power to stop time and get a better look at Madame Oreille, but the white car pulled up before her. The window rolled down to reveal the blonde-haired woman staring back at her.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the very first Contractor, Miss UB001," said Oreille. "Or would you prefer Miss February."

Amber gazed at the woman stunned, unable to mutter a syllable if her life depended on it. Who was this woman who seemed to be four steps ahead of her?

"Eh? A—Amber," she spat out.

"Would you like to see him again? Mr. BK201? I could make up the arrangements, if you like."

Amber stared at her puzzled, and said, "You want me to help you capture Hei?"

"No." Oreille shook her head. "To help you save your unborn son's father."

Amber gasped.

How did she know about her pregnancy and who the father is? This woman sent chills down her spine that made her shiver in fright ten fold.

She began to open her mouth to speak her mind.

"I'm well informed about many things, Miss Amber," cut in Oreille. "He may not like Hei too well, but Mr. Fukazawa doesn't want to see him dead."

"Mr. Fukazawa?"

"Your son. I think his full name is Section Chief Marcile Fukazawa. I despise Mr. Smith and the CIA since they are trying to take over Tokyo. They're nearly there, and when they do, Section Three will be on their chopping block."

"So why help them?"

"Like the old saying goes," began Madame, speaking in English. "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer."

Amber stared at Oreille, puzzled at if maybe she was setting her up, but apart of her wanted to see Hei again.

"Very well, I'll do it," she said.

"Splendid. I'll send one of my agents to help you out. "

"How will I know her?"

"You will."

The car window rolled up to allow the car to drive off. Amber stood in silence as she watched the hover car disappear around the bend. She frowned, wondering how long it was going to take this person to show up.

"Amber?" said a girl behind her. She turned around to see a short girl wearing a bear outfit and glasses with a huge man next to her. "My name is Parcel, and this big guy is Champ. We're here to take you to India."

Present:

Misaki and her colleagues were gathered in the conference room to learn of QU025's escape. She sat next to Saitou with Ootsuka to her right, and Kouno and Marcile sitting across from her with Iasi before them. Marcile seemed to be in a different world, which Misaki figured it had to do with QU025.

She let his undivided attention go for now, but she would reprimand him later when no one else wasn't present.

"What about video concerning his escape?" Misaki asked. "Perhaps we can find out how he did it, and maybe see if he had an accomplice with him."

"No good," said Ootsuka while shaking her head. "Surprisingly the videos were looping."

"What? How?"

"The security guard on duty had said, and I quote, 'I fell asleep.'"

"Fell asleep? He works the nightshift. He should know to sleep during the day."

"That's the thing. He said he was walking around while drinking his tea, and then he awoke to find he was sleeping on the ground.

"I had his tea tested, and it was doused with that date-rape drug."

"Whatever the case is," spoke up Iasi, "QU025 is our main priority. I want him found faster than a chef can serve a bowl of ramen. Now get on it."

"Yes, Sir!" everybody said; except Marcile.

They stood with Marcile still sitting until Kouno slapped him slightly on the chest, waking him from his daze, and having him gaze around the room startled while standing to leave.

"A word alone, Detective Fukazawa," said Misaki.

Marcile spun his neck around to look over at her stupefied. He gulped, knowing what was coming, and nodded. Iasi was the last to exit the room, making him gaze back at Misaki and Marcile with narrowed eyes, and closed the door behind him.

Misaki fixated her eyes on her young detective, causing him to avert his eyes with sweat dripping down his face.

"It was obvious you weren't listening to anything just a few minutes ago," she said.

He tried to look at her, but the aura she was dispelling was more than he could accommodate, and said, "I'm sorry, Chief, It's just that…"

"I don't want excuses. I want your head in the game, or you can pack up your stuff and march your rear out of this department."

"Y—yes, Chief. Is that all?"

"For now. Get back to work."

Marcile bowed and then exited the room. Misaki watched him for a few seconds, wondering if he would be all right, or if he was going to let the case at hand get the best of him.

xxxx

Hei stood next to Yin as she sat quietly before him with her feet in a bowl. He was displeased at QU025 for somehow escaping under everybody's nose. He blamed it mostly on himself for wanting to spend time with Marcile instead of having Yin watch QU025. Hei believed there might be someone in the Foreign Affairs that was working for him, but he didn't think the escape attempt would have had happened so soon.

His impatience was growing thin and he had nobody around to take it out on. If Mao was around, he might have had a little fun and grabbed the annoying cat by his tail to throw him out of the window to see if he would be able to land on all fours.

"I found him," said Yin. "He's by Mizusu's apartment."

"Mizusu?" questioned Hei. A thought clicked in his brain. "Son of a… He's going after Marcile!"

xxxx

As the day ended, Marcile decided to head home. He entered the JR Line, walked up the stairs, and hurried onto a waiting train. He took an empty side seat next to an elderly woman and leaned his head back against the window.

Within seconds the doors closed to depart the station.

Marcile couldn't believe QU025 had walked out of a secured jail cell over night. He wanted to find the person who had helped QU025 escape and ring his neck since Marcile wanted to know how QU025 knew him.

So much had happened the past few days. He wondered what the next big climax would be. Perhaps he will be reunited with his father, or better yet, find out he's from outer space and his home planet is called Vegeta.

The train pulled into his station. He stood to exit the car, descended the stairs to depart the building, and headed home. Marcile ducked down the alley that led him to his apartment, hoping his landlady was inside sleeping or occupied with something, and Azumi was with her parents since he wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

As he got within a block of his place, something seemed to take control of his body. Marcile's eyes widened while grinding his teeth, knowing what was going on, and cursed that he didn't think this would happen.

QU025 stepped out from behind a fence while smiling and glowing blue with a cigarette in his mouth.

xxxx

Hei, dressed in his Black Reaper outfit, was kneeling on top of a JR Line train for support as it zipped through the city. His coat and hair whipped around in the breeze, as he prayed he could make it to Mizusu's in time to save his son.

He thought about using his ability to increase the train's speed, but the danger of it traveling around a corner extremely fast could send it off the tracks, killing innocent commuters.

"Hei, he's there," said Yin, informing him that Marcile had made it to Mizusu's apartment complex.

Hei started to grind his teeth in frustration. He wasn't going to make it in time.

"_QU025 is active!"_ shouted Kanami through Misaki's CB. _"I repeat! QU025's star is active! He's somewhere in the Shinjuku Okubo!"_

"This is Section-Chief Kirihara!" shouted Misaki. "I'm heading in that direction now."

"_Copy that, Misaki. Be careful."_

Misaki turned on her siren and drifted around a corner to head for Shinjuku Okubo. She frowned, figuring out where QU025 was at if he was in Shinjuku Okubo. He had to be around Mizusu's apartment, and she feared he was making his move on Marcile.

She cursed at herself for not thinking two plays ahead of the game and only focusing on the current move.

xxx

Marcile glared devilishly at QU025 as he struggled with his invisible binds.

"Never rely on useless help to get the job done," mumbled QU025, his cigarette flopping as he spoke. Marcile figured he was referring to the two goons that had been sent to kidnap him at first. "As I had said plenty of times to my boss, but he's so thick headed."

"I suppose you're going to kill me now?" Marcile asked, surprised he could speak under QU025's control.

"Far from it. We plan on trading you over to the Syndicate so that they can spare us from annihilation."

"Eh?" questioned Marcile. "Trade me to save your kind? Why would they do such a thing like that? Wait? Does it have anything to do with the Syndicate unable to get their hands on me awhile back?"

"No. They wanted you for a minor thing. If they knew who you are, they would have killed you right away when they kidnapped you because of your biological parents."

Marcile stared at him peculiarly.

"I knew your real mother," said QU025. "She was a tough woman who you didn't want to be underestimate. Its unfortunate she had to die five years ago. Heh, her anniversary is the same anniversary as the Tokyo Explosion."

"The Tokyo Explosion?"

QU025 smiled and said, "She was here that day. In fact, she was inside Hell's Gate just before the explosion went off. It's believed either the explosion killed her, or her price had finished her off before the eruption."

"Her—her price?"

QU025's smile grew wider.

"She was a Contractor," he stated, causing Marcile to gasp.

Marcile gathered his composure, and growled, "You're lying!"

"Far from it, boy. To be honest, your mother was _the_ first Contractor."

"LIAR! You Contractors are liars and deceivers! I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth!"

"So you won't believe me if I tell you her ability either. Fine by me, I'll tell you anyways. It was one I wish I had. You see, your mom, she could stop time and even travel through it. She had claimed she had seen many different futures.

"However," he continued on, puffing on his cigarette. He removed it from his mouth to throw it onto the ground to smother it, "her price was a heavy one to bear. Every time she meddled with time, she aged younger."

Marcile cringed. He began to think back at his meeting with his sister and remembering asking why she looked younger than he did.

"_That's because I have always looked younger than my age," _he remembered her saying.

"I—It can't be?" he muttered. "A—Amber, you're really my…?"

"Hhhoooo, it seems she had made a visit with you! No doubt to see how you've grown."

Footsteps echoed off the buildings. QU025 looked over his shoulder to see a man approaching them from the shadows. The shadowed man raised his right hand with a gun in it, clicked off the safety, and aimed it at QU025's head.

Commander Iasi Obi walked into the streetlamp's light while glaring at QU025, causing QU025 to purse his lips. Marcile smirked from being saved.

"You talk too much," stated Iasi.

"I can't help it since my payment is to blabber," replied QU025. "I always seem to give too much info."

"And that will be your downfall some day." Iasi lowered his gun, causing Marcile to gasp, as Iasi clicked on the safety. "Learn to talk after you take care of the situation."

"My apologies, Boss."

He walked over to Marcile and knocked him out with the butt of his gun. QU025 reached into his jean pocket to pull out his pack of smokes, opened it to take out a cigarette to place in his mouth, and put away his smokes.

He took out his lighter and as he raised it to light his cigarette, BK201 suddenly swung out of nowhere and kicked into QU025. QU025 was thrown back a few meters with his cigarette flinging out of his mouth, and slammed into the ground. He sat up and glared at Hei, making Hei freeze as his body was taken over. He stood while smiling.

"Come to save your boy, hey?" questioned QU025. He walked over to his dropped cigarette, squatted to pick it up, and stare at it displeased. "Ah, it ripped with all the tobacco spilling out." He stood straight while glaring at Hei. "I hate people who waste good tobacco. People who hate tobacco are immature brats who think the world is going to end for them."

"Let the boy go and I'll let you live," said Hei.

"Eh? I don't think you're in the position to make any deals."

QU025 began to have Hei's hand reach into his coat and pull out his knife to raise it to his throat.

"That's enough, QU025," spoke up Iasi. "Leave BK201 to me. You take care of the kid."

"What? You're not serious, are you? One quick slice and he's dead."

"Do as I say or I'll kill you."

"Tsk, very well, Boss."

QU025 released his hold on Hei and began to do what was ordered. Hei, pleased that he was released, started to charge at him. Unexpectedly, Iasi highlighted in blue with his eyes burning red. With quick speed, he ran before Hei and socked him across the face to shatter his mask while sending him twirling backwards.

Hei slammed on his back, knocking the breath out of him for a moment, but he gathered himself and stood to look at Iasi lost for words. QU025 hurried off carrying Marcile over his shoulder.

"Contractor?" he question.

"Ah, I am," said Iasi. "I've worked hard to deceive many people in high places, which landed me at the top of the Foreign Affairs. With us Contractors evolving, I have been able to act on my emotions, making it easier to fool so many humans.

"I'm sorry, but I have to end our fight quickly since my price is for my bones to weaken as I fight. If I go on too long, my bones will break, and I could possibly paralyze myself. After our little battle, I have to relax myself so my bones can strengthen somewhat."

Hei, figuring he could get the drop on Iasi, threw one of his knives at him. However, Iasi disappeared in an instant and reappeared behind him. With lightening quick reflex, Iasi kicked Hei in a blink of an eye, and sent him into a pile of trash. Hei stood as he reached for his wire, but before he could use it, Iasi punched Hei in his stomach.

"Too slow, BK201!" he stated.

Hei couched out in pain and gasped for air. He believed he wasn't going to survive this fight if he couldn't think of a strategy.

Misaki drew closer to Misuzu's apartment as another star overhead shined. She ignored it since her mind was set on saving Marcile.

"_Attention to all units!" _began Kanami._ "OS010 is active in the same area! I repeat; OS010 is active in the same area! Proceed with caution!" _

"OS010 and QU025 must be working together. What's OS010's ability?" Misaki asked.

"_Lightening speed reflexes," _replied Kanami.

"Understood. Have you located where they are?"

"_Yes. Near an apartment complex called Misuzu's. Misaki, wait for backup."_

"If I can."

Misaki pressed on the gas, hoping to get to the apartment in time, and zipped around slower traffic. She took a hard right, blazed down a narrow alleyway, and drifted around a corner to have her lights shine on two men. Misaki slammed on her brakes to skid the car to a stop, stared flabbergasted at her commander standing over Hei who was kneeling, and beaten to a pulp.

She exited her vehicle and stared at Iasi baffled.

"Commander?" she question. "How'd you get here so quickly?"

"Eh? I…" Iasi babbled for a second. "I was in the neighborhood when I heard BK201 was around here. When I got here I found him like this."

Misaki slanted her eyes peculiarly while closing her door, and started walking towards them as she removed her gun from her purse. She stepped beside her commander and glared down at Hei to see his right eye was bruised, blood seeping from his mouth, and he was holding his left arm as he breathed heavily.

"I can take it from here until backup arrives," said Misaki, hoping to get Hei out of the area before Saitou and Kouno arrived.

"There's no need, I'll stay," said Iasi.

She figured he would say that, which made her wonder what she should do now. She didn't want to see the man she loved behind bars, but Misaki didn't want to reveal she was helping Hei as well.

Misaki felt something was wrong about the situation. She noticed Marcile wasn't around, making her believe that QU025 and OS010 had succeeded in kidnapping him, and that they must have gotten away. However, it didn't explain Hei's currant state. No doubt he had to have fought one of the other Contractors, and they wouldn't have let him live. Suddenly a thought crossed Misaki's mind.

"Sir, where's your car?" she asked, causing Hei to cringe, as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Around the block," he replied.

"Sir, you had said you had heard BK201 was here, right?" Iasi nodded. Misaki pointed her gun at his head. "Kanami never said BK201 was present here; only QU025 and OS010. I take it, since I don't see QU025 or anybody else, you're OS010."

He smiled and said, "You are observant, Section-Chief Kirihara."

"Misaki, run!" shouted Hei.

Iasi quickly moved sideways, causing Misaki to flinch and fire, and allowing him to snatch her arms to rip the gun out from her grip to toss it aside.

"I will make your death quick, Section-Chief," he said. "Goodbye."

Unexpectedly, Hei's wire wrapped around Iasi's wrist and sent a bolt of energy into it. However, Iasi slipped his arm through the wire before the electric shock struck him. Hei cursed, and then he was kicked across the face by Iasi. He twirled around a few times before landing on his side.

"Impressive," said Iasi. "After all that pounding, you still have some spark in you."

Misaki ran over to pick up her gun, but Iasi beat her to the punch while stepping on it. He looked down at her and rocked his right index finger like a pendulum.

"No, no, Section-Chief Kirihara," he said, and then kneed her.

She coughed up blood, stumbled forward while grabbing her stomach, and tried to breathe.

"I don't get it, Kirihara Misaki?" he continued. "You had BK201 in your grasp, and yet you would rather arrest me instead of him. You could have kept quiet until we got back at the Foreign Affair's with BK201, and then you could have tried to arrest me with your colleagues backing you up, but you still took this other path. Why is that?

"Is it perhaps you care for him? Is that the reason? But it can't be, or can it? How is it you fell in love with BK201? I guess I'll never know."

Iasi brought back his hand, his fingers poised out and together to resemble it as a blade, and began bringing it forward.

Without warning, a double edge blade pierced his arm, causing Iasi to flinch in pain and glare at Hei devilishly.

"Do you ever give up?" he shouted.

He charged at him. As he drew within two meters, he stopped and yelled in pain while grabbing at his ankle. He grinded his teeth furiously and stared at Hei displeased.

"It looks like play time is over," he said. "We'll have to pick up this another day, if you're still alive."

He stood to his feet and began limping off. Misaki ran over to Hei, helped him stand, and guided him over to her car's passenger side. She opened the door to let him in and then hurried around the car to enter the driver's side. She put her shifter into first, and popped the clutch to head off before backup arrived.

"You all right?" she asked Hei.

"I've been worse," he stated. He grabbed at his side. "Ouch."

"You've got a cracked rib."

"I think I might have more than one, Misaki."

"_This is Commander Iasi,"_ he said through Misaki's CB._ "I am ordering the arrest of Kirihara Misaki. I have evidence she is helping BK201."_

"Damn it," spat Misaki. "That no good SOB!"

"We've got company!" said Hei, pointing at the local police cars that were approaching them.

They shot by, causing them to slam on their brakes and turn around to follow in pursuit.

Misaki fought through traffic, drifted around corners, and gunned her engine to its maximum RPM, but the police hung onto them. Misaki started getting irritated as she stared into her rearview mirror. She took a hold of the emergency brake to pull up on it, whipped her steering wheel to the right to spin the car one hundred-eighty degrees, and drove at the police cars to make them split away and crash into parked cars.

Misaki stared back at the mangled cars amazed and smiled pleased at her performance. She drifted around another corner to have more police cars turn and chase after them.

"Tsk, persistent, aren't they," she muttered while glancing in her mirror.

As they approached an intersection, Misaki noticed the light was red. She cursed while bracing for the worse. However, Hei highlighted in blue, causing the car, buildings, and everything else to glow blue, and then changed the lights green. Once they were cleared, he turned them red to have the other traffic move.

A motorist looked on shock while being slammed into a police car, as other cars were pulverized.

"That's handy," said Misaki.

Back at the accident, Saitou hit his brakes to avoid the incident. Unfortunately, his anti-lock breaks kicked in due to the bumps in the road, preventing him from stopping, and hit a car to smash his front end to have steam pour out of the radiator like a geyser.

He and Kouno exited the vehicle to watch Misaki's taillights disappear into traffic. Without helping it, they smiled at seeing their chief escape their pursuit.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Chief?" questioned Saitou.

Hei guided Misaki through the city while watching out for cops. He gestured for her to pull into a garage and told her to park her car in the far back. They exited the vehicle, walked over to another car to where Hei unlocked the doors with his powers, and they sat in it with Misaki taking the wheel. Hei used his power again to start up the car. She put the car into reverse to back up, and then placed it in drive to head out as more police cars drove in to pull up to Misaki's car.

She sighed at having to leave her car behind, but knew she had to since she was on the run now.

Hei continued to guide her around the city until they came up to a building. They exited the car to enter the complex and headed up three flights of stairs. The couple walked down the halls for a few minutes, and then entered a room to be greeted by Yin.

"Hei, you're hurt!" she said.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Were you able to follow them?"

Yin shook her head.

He snorted and then sat down on the couch. Misaki kneeled before him and lifted up his shirt, causing him to flinch from the pain.

"Ouch, don't do that!" he complained.

"I'm checking to see if your ribs punctured your skin, but it looks like they didn't," defended Misaki. "And we need to find someone who can bandage you up without alerting the authorities."

"Got that covered, and you can't come."

"Why not?"

"You're a cop, and what he does is illegal."

"Was, remember. Now I'm a wanted criminal like you."

"Don't matter, you still can't come along. You'll spook the guy."

Misaki frowned and poked at his wound.

"Ouch! Don't do that either!"

"If you don't want me to do that, then say I can come along."

"No. Ouch!"

Yin tilted her head at them curiously and said, "You two married?"

"Eh?" Misaki and Hei questioned, as they whipped their heads around to gaze at her baffled.

"Married couples argue. You two are arguing. Are you two married?"

"Where'd you hear that?" Hei asked.

"Doctor Phil."

Hei sighed, but then flinched again as Misaki poked him for a third time.

"Ouch! All right, you can come along!" he yelled. "Just stop poking me."

Misaki smiled that she had won the fight, and then cuddled in his arms while kissing him. However, her tender lips didn't distract his thoughts and concerns for his son.


	21. Chapter 21

As promised to tityuio, here's Chapter 21.

Chapter Twenty-one: The Truth of an Amber Smile

Past:

Thirteen years into the future of Amber's timeline, Hei was driving a truck up the narrow roads of India on the left side of the road while sitting on the right side of the vehicle. He wore a dark green shirt and light grey pants, as Yin, sitting in the passenger seat, wore a purple tank top, light blue shorts, and purple stockings.

The air was hot and humid, making the truck inside muggy and hard to drive. The fan on the dashboard did little comfort to where Hei had sweat pouring down his face.

The truck itself was a disaster. The engine lay under their feet, had a wooden frame underneath the metal shell, and the payload was a hunk of junk. The tires seemed as thought they were decades old. However, Hei needed to make some cash to live on, and this was his best bet.

He had been on countless rough roads, but the roads of India were a nightmare. There was barely enough room for two small vehicles to pass, let along two trucks, no guardrails, and occasional landslides. Hei had witnessed a small car getting swept away in front of him yesterday.

Hei came around a sharp turn to see the road blocked by another truck. He stopped his truck, looked over at Yin, and said, "Stay here."

She nodded. He opened the creaky door to climb out of the vehicle and approached the broking down truck where a pudgy man was bent over checking his driver side tire.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

The pudgy man looked over at him, smiled, and said, "It is now."

Men in black jumpsuits hoped out of the back of the truck, as another truck pulled up behind Hei's truck to let out more men. Hei glanced back at it and then forward at the pudgy man.

"Surrender, Hei, and no harm will come to you and your Doll," said the pudgy man.

Hei stood still considering his options. He knew that if he surrendered, he would be thrown in a dark cell for the rest of his life, or his memory would be wiped to where he'd be the CIA's Guinea pig. Not to mention, Yin would be sold on the black market. He and Yin would rather die before they let that happen.

The problem was that he had no escape route, and as soon as he moved, he'd be dead, which would leave Yin in the CIA's custody.

Suddenly, a rocket was shot from above to have it destroy the truck that was blocking Hei's path. Men surrounding it were blasted off the ledge while screaming in agony, and then fell silent as they struck the side of the cliff to bounce off it or hit the bottom. Hei looked up and saw a silhouette of a woman above him. The men surrounding the other truck pointed their guns upward and began firing.

He ran back to his truck, pulled Yin out of it while grabbing his black coat, wire, and knives, and leaped off the cliff. He latched his wire to his truck, and swung downwards to land on top of another truck that was heading down the mountain.

Unexpectedly, a woman in a suit soared on a wire line at him to jump onto the truck as well. She swung her sword in which Hei ducked, pulled out his knife, and parried the next attack. He swung his knife at the woman's chest, which she countered with a downward slash, and then followed up with a horizontal strike. Hei performed a sweep kick, forcing the woman to hop over it.

Without warning, a huge man came down from nowhere to strike at the woman, causing her to fling out her line, and soar off. The huge man, who Hei knew as Champ from an event three years ago, leaped up after her.

Not wanting to figure out what was going on; Hei took a hold of Yin, hooked his wire to a branch sticking out of the rock side, and swung onto the road. He forced a car to stop and have the driver honk his horn. Hei walked over to the driver's side to open the door, yanked the guy out of his car, and ordered Yin to get in the passenger seat.

He hit the gas and quickly drove down the narrow road while the former owner of the car cursed and threw rocks at them. Hei began zigzagging by trucks and cars to where a few vehicles almost plummeted over the ledge. To his left, Yin sat calmly with her hands on her lap, making him wish he were a Doll so he could seem calm.

Shots began to rally around the car.

Hei looked in his back mirror to see a small truck with men holding assault rifles. A bullet struck and shattered the back window, scaring Yin, and having Hei duck her head. A few bullets whizzed by his head to puncture the front window. He began weaving back and forth to give his opponents a troublesome target. The backlights were destroyed, as holes were punctured in the trunk. He pulled the steering wheel hard right to avoid an oncoming car to have it struck by bullets and then plummet off the cliff.

He whipped around another corner, and as he did, a truck skidded to a stop, leaving little room between it and the cliff. Hei narrowed his eyes while gripping the steering, and squeezed the car through the limited space to take out the mirrors and scratch up the side of the car. He looked back in his review mirror to see the small truck slam into the semi-truck.

Hei slowed the car down somewhat after fearing the worst was over. However, the woman in the suit landed on top of the hood, and struck her sword through the windshield to have Hei force his head slightly to the right before the sword pierced his eye. The woman yanked out her sword, and as she was about to repeat her action, Hei slammed on the brake to send her soaring off the car. She somersaulted to land on all fours, and just when she was about to charge again, Champ attacked her out of the blue.

The woman flung her line to take off again with the huge man in her wake, allowing Hei to make a run for it once more.

Xxx

Hei drove into a local city that was built along the mountain. The buildings resembled shacks that were bunched together with little parking spaces. Cars, trucks and scooters zipped through, as though the world was ending, as residences guided goats, cows, and other animals down it.

Hei pulled up to his and Yin's apartment, hastily exited the car, and hurried up to their room on the second floor. They entered it to show it was small with two beds, red walls, and a concrete floor covered by a small wool rug. They quickly gathered a few belongings that they could, and stormed out of the place.

It wasn't safe for them here anymore. They needed to ditch this country and head north towards the boarder.

They exited the dank building structure, jumped into the somewhat destroyed car, and merged onto the busy and insane highway.

He wondered whom the woman was who had saved him and Yin. She must have been enemies of the CIA and must have known they would be in town. More to the point, how did she know Champ?

Suddenly, his back right tire blew. Hei fought for control of the car and slowly brought it to a stop on the side of the road. He exited the car and went back to check on it. As he did, he noticed a familiar face pointing a gun at him standing next to a blue Porsche.

"Misaki?" he questioned.

"You look good, Hei," she said.

Misaki wore a yellow shirt that came up to her chest, blue pants, and a golf-like hat. She still looked as beautiful as she did three years ago.

"You've joined the CIA?" he questioned.

"Not the CIA. I'm merely helping them under Madame Oreille's orders."

"Section Three? You joined them! Why?"

"Simple." Misaki lowered her gun. "To see you again. You can't run forever, Hei. Madame Oreille wants you to join us and help stop the CIA from trying to take over things in Japan."

Hei thought on her words for a second, and then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I can't," he said.

"Hei!"

"I don't trust any government, and I'm surprise you do, Misaki."

"So our paths did indeed depart three years ago." Misaki said, her voice trembling.

"Yes they did." Hei breathed out.

Misaki raised her gun to point it at Hei once more, and said, "You're under arrest, Hei."

"Stand down, Misaki. I don't want to hurt you."

"It's too late for that, Hei."

Hei readied himself, but before he could make a move, things seemed to freeze up. He then found himself staring at the first woman he had fallen in love with.

"Amber?" he gasped.

Her hair was still long and green; her eyes glimmering like ripe oranges, and the red shirt and black pants showed she still had her stunning figure. He believed she had been the one to shoot the rocket launcher.

Before he knew it, she kissed him. He had forgotten how sweet and tender her lips had tasted. It took him back to the day she had last kissed him in Hell's Gate.

Unable to hinder from her touch, he gave into it, and pulled her body up against his. He ran his left hand up her back, as his other traveled down her thigh. Amber had her right hand on his cheek while her other meddled with his hair.

The sensation that was soaring through his veins took him back to that one night he had spent with her. The sensation she gave him was different from what he felt with Misaki, which plagued his mind, and made part of him feel as though he was cheating.

As though she could feel his discomfort, Amber slowly pulled away from him to reveal Yin standing next to his old companions, Champ and Parcel.

Parcel was a short girl wearing rounded glasses, backpack, and a hooded coat with ears.

"How? You died years ago." Hei muttered to Amber.

"She's not that Amber," said Parcel. "She's the Amber who left you back in South America."

Hei looked at Parcel puzzled, and then back at Amber. Amber began to open her mouth to say something.

"Oi, I think I know where this is going," said Parcel. "I don't care for mushy reunions." Amber looked over at the girl heart-stricken, but backed away while smiling. "Where do you want to run off to?"

"Eh?" asked Hei.

"What country do you want to hide at?" repeated Parcel while rolling her eyes, displeased

"Russia, I guess."

Parcel stepped before Hei and Yin, raised her hands before her while glowing blue, and formed a black hole before them. Hei guided Yin into it, and disappeared as Hei looked back to stare at Amber one last time.

Parcel closed the void, and opened another one to have her, Champ, and Amber to step into it. Once they did, Amber noticed they had traveled to Japan somewhere in Shinjuku Okubo. Madame Oreille was leaning up against her hover limo nearby.

Parcel's black hole closed behind them.

"I take it things went well?" Madame Oreille asked.

"Yes, Hei escaped," said Parcel.

"Well done. If you could leave me alone with Miss Amber, if you don't mind."

"Suit yourself!" shrugged Parcel.

She called on her powers, and she and Champ departed into the void. Once it closed, Amber gazed at Madame Oreille perplexed.

"If you want me to join…" began Amber.

"No, I wish to give you a parting gift for helping me."

"A… parting… gift? What kind of gift?"

Oreille smirked while tilting her head slightly for a second, and said, "If you're wondering if it's rational or not, trust me, it is: for you at least."

Amber pondered on her words, believing she should ignore her curiosity, but it hadn't guided her wrong so far, and nodded that she would accept it.

"Very well," said Oreille. "If you go back three years, head down this street, and enter a ramen store called Homerun house, you'll come across a certain young _man_ there."

"A certain young man? Who?"

"You'll figure that one out yourself, Miss Amber."

Madame Oreille entered her car and ordered her driver to head off. Amber watched the vehicle depart, wondering if she should take her offer, and then traveled three years into the past.

She walked down the streets of Shinjuku Okubo and entered a place called Homerun House. Lucky for her, she had some Japanese currency.

Amber took a seat in the mist of the small restaurant and ordered a bowl of Ramen noodles.

She didn't understand why Madame Oreille would want her to come here. Was there something special about this place, and who was this certain man she mentioned?

A boy wearing a light green shirt, blue jeans, and a black leather coat with a button strap collar, entered and sat down. He had short black and spiky hair, a sharp handsome face, and sky blue eyes. Amber focused on his eyes, knowing she had seen them before, and believed they resembled Hei's eyes. She gazed at his exposed collarbone to see it looked smooth.

He resembled Hei almost to the tee. Suddenly, her heart pounded heavily against her chest, a feeling she hadn't experience since before becoming the first Contractor. What was this feeling, and why was she having it?

She listened to it, trying to read every detail, and then a thought came to her, as Madame Oreille's words rang through her mind.

"_You'll come across a certain young _man_ there."_

She stared at the boy again, her heart pounding even heavier now, and concluded that the boy was her son.

Some girl wearing a blue suit and glasses entered, sat down, and began watching the boy. Did he have a stalker?

"What can I get you?" a girl with ponytails asked.

"Ten bowls of instant ramen noodles, please," he said.

Amber, smiling at the comment, knew he was hers and Hei's kid. She flinched curiously after the ponytailed girl asked if he was related to someone named Li Shengshun. Who was Li? Maybe perhaps the boy's father and she had been mistaken.

"No," he said shaking his head. "I'm from America, and I've never met this Li. Although, from what I've heard about him, he seems to be a nice fellow."

As the girl's dad commented about how his business boomed with Li around, and the ponytail girl serving the blue suit girl named Kiko, Amber's mind puzzled at hearing the boy had said he was from America. Things weren't adding up, which told her she had to have been wrong.

She stood from her seat, leaving some yen on the table, and left the small restaurant. As she walked down the street a girl wearing school clothes walked by. Once she knew the coast was cleared, she called on her power to take her back to her own time.

Present:

Marcile was tide up to a wooden chair in an abandon warehouse. A few lights worked to give the place a dim feeling with crates stacked in piles around them covered in dust. The concrete floor was cracked with seams forming staggered intersections or running parallel.

QU025 had dusted off a grate to allow him to sit on it and scrounge through a Shoxx magazine with the Gazette on the front cover as he puffed on a cigarette.

"Tell me more about Amber," said Marcile, his voice echoing throughout the warehouse.

QU025 looked up from his magazine and stared at him baffled.

"Why?" QU025 questioned, as if he didn't understand the reason behind it.

"I'm curious. Wouldn't you be if you found out?"

"It's irrational to know, so no, but I was curious about my mother leaving me. All right. What do you want to know?"

"Anything, like why did she give me up for adoption?"

"Because of me," said Iasi, as he walked around a few crates with his shoes clanking off the walls, and stepped before Marcile. "I sought her out to kill her and you. It's blasphemy for you to even exist. A human and a Contractor having a child."

Marcile's right eye slanted, realizing the person before him was a different Iasi than the one he knew as his commander. He pushed the thought to the back of his brain so he could focus on the main discussion.

"So my biological father is human," he said.

"Was," chimed in QU025.

Marcile gulped at the statement, believing QU025 was stating his father was dead.

Iasi looked over at his underling displeased for speaking out of turn, and then returned his attention towards Marcile.

"Amber didn't want you dead," he continued. "She loved you too much. Funny! A Contractor at that time could act on her emotions. QU025 and I decided to take the law into our own hands.

"To protect you from us, she thought it best to hide you from herself. So she sent you to the past. Who would have ever thought you would have made your way over here into our hands."

"I wanted to puke at the thought," said QU025. "Your mother, a Contractor, heart-broken she gave you up; and yet my own mother, a human, wasn't. She even started a new life. I wanted to kill Amber and my mother, but my dear-ole-mom was killed in an accident after the Gates appeared, and Amber had vanished from our trace completely."

"That's enough before you say too much, Tenchu," stated Iasi. "Leave me with Fukazawa for a few minutes."

QU025 frowned, hoped off the crate, and exited the warehouse.

"If you think I'm a blasphemy, then why haven't you killed me?" Marcile asked. "It can't be because you want to hand me over to the Syndicate to spare Contractors. They wouldn't care about one insect when they could extinguish a whole flock."

"You're right, Detective Fukazawa," said Iasi. "I kidnapped you so I could see Amber once more, and kill her."

"Kill her? Why? What did she do to you?"

"Not only did she want to save Contractors, but humans too. She imagined a world where humans and Contractors could co-exist together. It's blasphemy."

"You speak of blasphemy, but yet you don't look the religious type."

"I look at the situation more like a Contractor propaganda, and I am the apostle."

"Wouldn't Amber be the apostle since she was the first Contractor?"

"That's why I want her dead, and even if she doesn't exist, I still feel like I'm only second in line since I am not the one who ended her life. Now that I have you, she will come and try to save you, and I will be waiting for her."

Marcile glared at Iasi displeased. All his determination to kill Amber seemed irrational, but it fueled his desires. It looked as though Contractors have been evolving throughout the years.

Iasi was trying to set up a trap for Amber, and it looked as though it would work. If it did, then his existence, along with the Contractors, will cease to exist. He imagined the paradox would be catastrophic if it happened. Marcile hoped his biological mother wouldn't fall for Iasi's trick.

His head twitched as a thought popped into his head, and smiled devilishly as he looked up at Iasi and said, "You're a fool, Commander."

Iasi narrowed his eyes at Marcile displeased.

"Amber's a time traveler, right," continued Marcile. "What makes you think she doesn't know how things will turn out at the end of this?"

Iasi's face stiffened.

Xxx

Misaki sat in a secluded room on the fifth floor of a rundown building. In the next room, a former doctor, who had lost his medical license, bandaged Hei's wounds. The former doctor freaked out at first from Misaki's presence, but he calmed down slightly after Hei assured him she wasn't here to arrest him.

An hour had passed since the doctor had started working on Hei. During that time, Misaki thought of what Marcile was going through and why! Was he already dead? She hoped not.

Moments later, Hei exited the other room as he slid his shirt over his bandages.

"What did he say?" Misaki asked.

"I have three broken ribs and that I need to rest them for a few weeks," said Hei.

Misaki could read it in his eyes that he wasn't going to lay around waiting for his wounds to heal. He looked as if he was ready to march into hell and take on the devil.

Hei walked past her. She stood to follow him out of the room and down the stairs to exit the building. He placed his index finger to his ear and said, "Find them yet, Yin?" There was a pause. "What's the deal, Yin? Why can't you find them?"

"Hei, take it easy with her!" defended Misaki. "They're probably not around any place that has water."

Hei sighed, and said, "I know. I'm sorry, Yin. Keep me posted."

The couple continued walking down the streets until they came up to a ramen booth. Misaki grabbed his arm to stop him from entering.

"People might recognize me," she said.

"It'll be alright, Misaki," said Hei. "News doesn't travel fast enough to this neck of the woods."

Hei and Misaki sat to order a dozen bowls, causing the chef to stare at them baffled, and stepped in front of a stove to begin cooking the meals. Misaki placed her elbow on the counter and looked over at Hei with narrowed eyes.

"This is a mistake," she said.

"I told you, information doesn't reach…" Hei began to repeat.

"Not that. You want to rush in and save Marcile. Iasi looks to be a well-trained person with a highly dangerous ability. Also, QU025 has a power that seems to be hard to overcome."

"Aren't all Contractors like that? And weren't you able to arrest QU025 before?"

"How'd you know about that? No wait, let me guess, your Doll."

Hei nodded. The chef placed a few bowls of ramen in front of them and began working on the rest of the order. Hei snatched up his chopsticks, snapped them apart, and scooped up some noodles to slurp into his mouth.

Misaki sighed and repeated his actions.

For five minutes, they ate and gulped down their food without looking or saying anything to each other. The silence made it feel like they were kilometers apart, as though a roadblock had built its way between them.

Having enough of the stranger-like emotions surrounding them, Misaki slammed her empty bowl down; surprising Hei and the chef to have them look at her peculiarly.

"I'm going to help you rescue him," she said.

Hei's eyes twitched. He slurped up the noodles that were hanging out of his mouth, chewed, and then swallowed.

"No, I'll be fine by myself," he said.

"Like you were fighting Iasi before I arrived?"

"He got lucky."

Misaki frowned, stood up, and pulled out her gun to aim it at Hei. The chef screamed out in fright as he knocked over his pot that was cooking Hei's fifteenth bowl. Hei looked up at Misaki with a blank stare.

"As the Section-Chief of the Foreign Affairs, I, Kirihara Misaki, Place you under arrest, BK201."

"You were the Section-Chief," said Hei. "Now you're just an outlaw like me. And besides, do you think you could take me on?"

"I don't think I could, but I'm willing to try. And, I would rather try to arrest Iasi and QU025 to clear my name. Besides, I don't think I could arrest you since I love you."

Hei's blank stare dissipated as he gazed at her dumbfounded. He smiled and said, "All right."

Misaki smirked, put away her gun, and sat next to him. She noticed the chef was still shaking in fear.

"Oh, sorry about that," she muttered.

"You're sorry?" the chef babbled. "You're lucky you're a cop or I would have called the cops! And plus, I think I need to check my drawers!"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22: The Apostle's Last Stand

Past:

Brita, wearing a blue business suit with a white blouse, knee length skirt and black high heels, roamed around the murky alleys of Brooklyn, New York, looking for a man who had the ability to control people's body.

Water dripped off rooftops, waste containers, and emergency staircases with drains sucking in the after math from a previous storm that had rolled through the city minutes ago. A black cat, its fur drenched, watched Brita on top of a waste container growling, as though it thought its meal from the bin was in jeopardy. Brita ignored the annoying cat while she trained her eyes on dark areas where someone could hide.

Her body froze on its own, startling her. An Asian man highlighted in blue stepped out from the shadows.

"I was expecting the CIA to send someone that looked more intimidating, but they send a hot brad instead," said QU025. "It's a shame I have to kill someone as good looking as you."

Brita smiled and said, "Don't underestimate me."

She radiated in blue with her eyes burning red and disappeared while leaving her clothes behind. QU025 looked on stunned, and then glanced over his shoulder to see her naked form with her hair covering her breasts. She reached out her hand to touch his shoulder in order to teleport him, making him flinch back and take a hold of her body again. Brita vanished to reappear five feet away from him with her back to him.

She looked over her shoulder and said, "You're a tough one."

"Same thing could be said to you too," stated QU025.

"And I could use both of your powers in my cause," said someone else.

Brita and QU025 looked towards the voice to see a woman with long green hair and orange eyes. She wore plaid pajama pants, gray shirt, and sandals. Brita also noticed she looked to be a few months pregnant.

"Amber!" said QU025.

"A—Amber?" questioned Brita, gazing at QU025 baffled, and then at Amber. "Also known as February? It can't be?"

"Those names are merely code names, but they have soot me well," replied Amber. "I've kind of grown fond of them: especially Amber."

Birta smiled, and chuckled, "Looks like it's my lucky day. Not only do I find QU025, but I also find MI-6's and CIA's most wanted Contractor!"

"I'm not here to get caught. I came here to discuss a proposition with you two."

"What kind of proposition?" QU025 asked.

"I'm starting my own organization to fight the Syndicate, and I want to hire you both."

QU025 narrowed his eyes at her for a few seconds, breathed out a small laugh, and said, "Sorry, but I like being a rogue, and having the Syndicate after me isn't my cup of tea. It's bad enough I have these American dogs after me."

"And I don't see the benefit in it for me, so I too will have to pass," said Brita. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to finish dealing with him, and then I can turn my attention to you."

Brita and QU025 glared at each other, ready to pounce on the other.

"What if I told you the CIA, the FSB, and MI-6 all work for the Syndicate!" spoke up Amber.

Brita and QU025's eyes bulged, and looked at Amber dumbfounded.

"That's absurd!" yelled QU025. "We all know our kind are deceivers! What is the real reason you want us to join?"

"I'm not lying," stated Amber, shaking her head. "I have no reason to. If you don't believe me, it's up to you both, but I will tell you their plans."

Amber spent fifteen minutes informing Brita and QU025 of the Syndicate's plan.

QU025 snorted.

"So you're saying that the Syndicate was behind the explosion in South America," he said.

"Partially. The rest was because of Bai trying to stop them."

"Bai?"

"She's an old colleague of mine. I don't want to reveal too much detail, but if you join me, I will tell you everything."

"Tsk. It sounds like a load of crap. Why would they annihilate us when they use us in their own organization?"

"It's only temporarily, and they know we will accept the offer since it's a rational thing for us. We're more like pawns to them."

"Sounds interesting to me," said Brita, as she placed her hands on her hips. "You've caught my interest."

"You believe what she's saying?" questioned QU025.

"If you see it from a human's point of view rationally, it makes sense. But, if I find out she's lying, I'm going back to the CIA and give them her."

"You have to stay with the CIA and report any activities they are doing," said Amber.

"A spy?" questioned Brita, but smiled it off. "Very well. Either way, it works for me."

"And if I say yes, what is it that you want me to do?" asked QU025.

"Recon. Mostly strength."

QU025 thought on the situation for a few seconds.

"All right, I could use room and board for a bit," he said. "But if I see a better proposition pop up, I'm taking that." Brita walked over to QU025 to give him a kiss on his cheek. "What was that for?"

"My price."

Xxx

Seven months had past, placing Amber nine months into her pregnancy. She sat on a couch before a window late at night cradling her stomach. She wondered if Hei had been beside her at this moment, would he think she looked beautiful or grotesque.

The thought of him thinking of the latter stunned at her heart like a thousand bees. Five years ago, she would have ignored her emotions, but she couldn't disband its haunting feelings. She had sleepless nights because of it and feared her lack of sleep was hurting her unborn child.

She felt a contraction, this one closer than the last. Her contractions were getting closer, meaning her son was ready for the cruel world. She hoped Brita could find a secret location where she could have her child. If she didn't return soon, then she was going to give birth in their hideout.

She knew the last thing that Brita and QU025 didn't want to deal with was delivering a child that had no purpose to them and would most likely dismiss it. Amber was surprised that Brita even went to go hunt down an unlicensed doctor.

A second contraction struck her, even closer now. Time was running out for her.

There was a knock at her door.

"It's unlocked," she said.

The door opened with Brita entering the room. She had her hair up and wore a purple dress that had the skirt come down to her thighs with matching high heels. She walked up to Amber, her high heels muffled by the thick carpet, and stopped before her.

"I found a safe place to take you to have your child," said Brita. "I can teleport you there now."

"That won't be necessary, Brita," said Amber. "I'd prefer to be driven there. I don't want to take any chances with my child."

"As you wish. There's a car down stairs. We can take that."

"That will be fine."

Amber stood slowly, nearly tumbling over from the sudden contraction, but she regained her balance and followed Brita out onto a balcony with three other doors to their left. On their right was a creaky staircase against the wall that led down to a small and old lobby, with dank brown wooden interior and a dusty light fixture hanging in the center.

They descended the stairs and exited through the door to their right to walk over to a red Ford Taurus across the street. Brita unlocked the doors and settled in behind the wheel with Amber taking the passenger seat. She started up the car, put it into drive, and drove off.

"I don't recall us owning a car?" Amber asked.

"We don't, but I figured you wanted to travel this way," said Brita.

"Did you kill the former owner?" asked Amber, gazing over at her to show she was slightly displeased.

She didn't want to have a guilty conscious from someone losing his or her for her son to be born safely.

"No, he's alive, just tied up in his bed… naked."

Amber looked forward, and then down at her belly. Soon the world was going to have a new being enter it. She wished Hei were with her to experience this moment and to see him smile again while he held his child.

A tear formed in her right eye and dripped onto her stomach.

Xxx

After five hours and fifteen minutes of labor in a rundown house, Amber lay on a bed holding her son in her arms. His eyes were closed now, but earlier they were open to revel he had Hei's. It warmed her heart to see those midnight blue eyes. She hoped that when he was older, he would smile like his father.

Brita walked in and stood next to Amber to gaze down at the child in her arms, and then back at Amber.

"It's amazing, isn't?" asked Amber, smiling at her son, as she twiddled with his small fingers. Brita stood in silence, as though lost at Amber's allusion. "Birth."

"The doctor told me you have to stay here for a couple of days," she said, caring less about the child.

Amber kept quiet, seeming depressed concerning Brita's rational behavior.

"You don't have to stay," she said.

"I wasn't planning on it. I have other things to do besides sitting around."

"If that's so, then why did you stay through the birth," smiled Amber.

Brita stood in silence for a few seconds, smiled, and said, "To see what's so rational about giving birth!"

Brita turned on her heels and left the room. Amber looked down at her son and pondered on how she was going to raise him around other Contractors. In addition, how much time would she have with him before her price took her life?

xxx

Three months had past since Amber had given birth to Harry. She stood in a secluded room staring down at her son lying quietly in a crib. Her heart pounded heavily against her chest as she thought about keeping him safe from harm in the world, which also included her kind.

In order to avoid giving him such a ridiculous name, she decided to name him Harry from the Harry Potter books. She thought about James, or maybe Sirius, but she figured Harry fit him better.

A knock came at her door.

Amber, not wanting to miss a millisecond of Harry's life, displeasingly stepped away from the crib, and opened the door to see QU025. He looked past her to stare at Harry uncannily and then focused his eyes back on Amber's.

"I was able to infiltrate FSB, but I ran into that Speedy Gonzales guy, Goran, and I had to split. Lucky for me he kept on running into the walls."

"Were you able to get Intel on them and their agents?" Amber asked.

"Yes."

He pulled out a disc and handed it to her. Amber took it, walked over to an Apple laptop, and popped it in. Moments later, files opened up in front of her with information and names. She clicked on the agents, scrolled down the list, and stopped on Amagiri.

"He's who I want with us," muttered Amber.

"Why?" QU025 asked.

"His ability is long range, and I need somebody like that. If there is nothing else you need to give or discuss with me, you are free to leave."

"Yes, of course, Amber."

QU025 exited the room, but before he closed the door, he gave one last displeased look at Harry.

Amber stood from the computer, walked over to the crib to lean on it, and gazed down at Harry. He looked up at her, smiled why raising his little hands up at her, and giggled. Amber returned his smile, reached down to pick him up, and cradled him in her arm.

xxx

QU025 roamed around in a small Russian grocery store to gather food for Evening Primrose. There was little space between the aisles that came up to QU025's chin, and had four shelves with little choice in food. There were only two registers, and one lane opened with four people in queue.

Once he had acquired the necessary supplies, he stepped in line to check out.

He didn't understand why Amber needed a FSB agent on her team since he was far more capable to handle any situation that crossed EPR's path. If he ever encountered the so-called Black Reaper, he would merely have that man slit his throat.

On top of that, the Harry child was a nuisance and he needed to either be dropped off at a daycare, or be killed.

Within minutes, he reached the front of the line, paid for his things, and headed back to EPR's hideout.

Halfway to his destination, a man with greasy hair and a scar on his forehead stood before him. QU025 stopped, looked over his groceries, and narrowed his eyes at the man, knowing he wasn't some average person.

"You best step aside before I make you," he said.

"Try, if you're brave enough to," said the man.

QU025 highlighted in blue to take a hold of the greasy-haired man, but before he trapped him, the man turned blue and, with lightening speed, ran behind him.

"SHOOT!" shouted QU025, as he looked over his shoulder and drop his bag of groceries to have it splatter everywhere.

"Relax, I'm not here to kill you," said the man. "I wish to offer you a position by my side."

"Join you? Who are you?"

"Iasi."

"And why should I join you?"

"Join me so that we can kill Amber, and her blasphemy kid."

He narrowed his eyes while pursing his lips. He then smiled and said, "I would love to."

Xxx

QU025 reentered to EPR's hideout to see it vacant. He ascended the creaky stairs and knocked on Amber's door. However, there wasn't a response. QU025 slowly opened the door to reveal little Harry sleeping in his crib.

QU025 walked up to it to look down at the boy, reached down while placing his hands around his neck, and squeezed. The child woke to look up stupidly, and then began to toss and kick his limps as he found it difficult to breathe. His face started turning blue, pleasing QU025 that the boy would soon be gone from this world.

The door behind him opened with Amber entering the room holding Harry's formula. She came to a heart-wrenching stop, as she dropped the formula, and charged at QU025 to save her son.

QU025 smiled, and used his power to take a hold of her body.

"Watch helplessly as I drain the life out of your son," he said.

Amber glared at him devilishly, and then called on her own power. Within a blink of an eye, she and her son were gone from his sights.

QU025 looked on baffled, and then grinded his teeth together from missing his opportunity from ridding the world of a hybrid.

Present:

Hei had settled himself on the couch to watch the news while Yin sat quietly on a wooden chair with her feet in a pan of water searching for Marcile. The news media had spent a majority of its time showing photo shots of Misaki and asking for residence to call if they have any information.

As for Misaki, she had locked herself in Hei's room to where he had to sleep on the couch every night. He didn't know what he did to make her do such a thing, and he didn't know why he was letting her get away with it.

The only time she exited the room is when she had to eat or use the bathroom. She didn't seem mad at him, which boggled his mind at why she was avoiding him.

Hours later, she exited the room with her gun, and sat next to Hei to watch the news while cleaning her gun. Hei looked at her baffled, wondering if he should say anything to her.

"What have you been doing in my room?" Hei asked.

"Thinking mostly," she said.

"About?"

"What we're going to do to save Marcile when we find him."

"And what is your plan?"

"I don't know. I guess we have to play it by ear."

Hei looked at her, thinking she had been hanging around him too long if she was saying such a thing. He had done the same thing at Alice's party when Alice escorted Misaki up to the top floor.

A majority of his missions had never gone as plan thanks to his stupidity and pride; like the time with Havoc.

Minutes ticked by, which turned into hours, and still Yin hadn't found Marcile. Misaki seemed to get impatient to where she had cleaned out her gun over several times.

"I found him," said Yin, finally. "An abandoned building in Akasaka."

"How many people are there?" Hei asked, as he sat on the edge of his seat.

"Three. Iasi, QU025, and Harry."

"Harry? Who's Harry?" Hei and Misaki asked.

"Marcile. Amber calls him Harry."

"Oh," muttered Hei. "Wait, how would you know?"

"Amber told me at the shrine."

Hei slanted his eyes peculiarly at Yin. He frowned while standing, walked over to a cabinet, and opened it to pull out his mask, knives and coat. Misaki put her gun back together, stood and stepped over to his side. Hei glared at her unsettlingly, wishing she would stay with Yin where it was safe, and then threw on his mask and coat. He turned and exited his hideout with Misaki following.

xxx

Marcile was still tied up in his chair, as QU025 smoked a cigarette and messed around on the Wii trying to play the latest Tenchu game. He was on the final boss, but he was struggling with blocking Onikage's moves due to the poor programming. He slashed and whipped the controller, and then held it before him to block attacks.

"Tsk, I don't get why the designers had to change the original melee to this crap," he said. His character was killed moments later. "Son of a…! I had never lost to Onikage in the other games! I always kicked his butt!"

"Why do you play it?" Marcile asked. QU025 ignored the _continue screen_ to look back at his captive. "Isn't it irrational to play such things?"

"It is, but being a Tenchu fan before the Gates appeared, I just had to get my hands on it."

"You acted on your emotions? I thought Contractors didn't."

"We're evolving." QU025 returned his attention back to his game to continue it. "Mostly the older Contractors are. At least that's what your mommy confided in me before I left."

"Evolving? How?"

"And I thought I talked too much."

"You do," said Iasi, as he walked into the room to turn off the game.

QU025 snorted, and shouted, "Damn it, Iasi! You know how long it took me to get to the final boss!"

"You can play that useless game later. We've got company."

"Amber?"

"No, BK201 and Kirihara Misaki."

QU025 frowned, as Marcile looked on dumbfounded.

"B… BK… 201…?" questioned Marcile. "You're kidding, right? Why would he be here?"

"To save you!" said QU025, having Marcile slant his eyes peculiarly.

xxx

Hei and Misaki busted through the abandon building's door with Misaki aiming her gun before them. Hei wore his black attire and mask to keep his features hidden from Marcile once they found him. The walls of the building were covered in mildew, the floors stained from water dripping from the ceiling, and the lights dimly lit or burnt out from lack of maintenance.

Hei led them down the hallway as Misaki watched their backs. They stepped into a small and depleted lobby with a leather couch that had seen better days, and a wooden front counter that was blistered and rotten. There were torn up pictures that were hung along the walls, showing employees of the month, and the former owner of the discarded building.

"Yin, any sings of them?" Hei asked into his earpiece.

"_Harry's on the fourth floor," _replied Yin. _"So is Iasi."_

"Where's QU025?"

"Right here," said QU025, as he stepped out of the back room behind the counter. He radiated in blue, causing Hei to whip out his line to tangle it around QU025's wrist as his body froze. "Heh, too slow, Hei!"

Hei highlighted in blue, freaking out QU025, and then he found himself being electrocuted. He released his hold on Hei to hide behind the counter, and having Hei run over to it to gaze down and see QU025 had disappeared.

"Where'd he go, Yin?" Hei asked.

"_Don't know,"_ she replied. _"He's not around water."_

"All right. We'll probably encounter him later. Keep an eye out for him."

"_Hai."_

Hei guided Misaki towards the emergency stairs that was missing its door and began ascending the stairs with it creaking under their feet. As Misaki reached the first floor, the stairs gave way to her weight, and plummeted through it. Hei reached back to grab her, but he missed her fingertips by centimeters.

"Misaki!" he shouted. All he got in return was her screaming as she fell, and then nothing. "Yin, is she all right?"

"_Don't know," _said Yin. _"There's no water down there."_

"What? Misaki! Misaki!" he shouted into the darkened hole."

"I'm fine, Hei!" yelled back Misaki. "Although, I sprained my foot again."

"I'm coming to get you!"

Hei began to hook his line to the railing.

"No, Hei! I'm fine! You go ahead and save Marcile. I'll catch up with you later."

"It'll take only a second!"

"No! Just go!"

Hei frowned, wondering if she could see his displeasure in the darkness. He turned away to run up the flight of stairs, reached the fourth floor within minutes, and busted through the emergency door to charge down the hall.

"What room?" Hei asked Yin.

"_401," _replied Yin.

Hei stopped before it and kicked in the door to show Marcile tide into a chair. Marcile looked towards him, and then gasped at his appearance.

"You…? You really did come to rescuer me?" he asked. Hei ignored the comment while heading over to Marcile as he pulled out his knife. "WAIT, what are you doing? Stop! Don't kill ME!"

Hei placed his blade under the rope that bound Marcile's right wrist, and cut it. Marcile stared mystified.

"Some detective," stated Hei. "I'm here to save you, not kill you!"

"But why? You're a Contractor! What rational reason is there to save me?"

"If you want, I can leave you behind," Hei replied, as he cut the other wrist free, and began working on his legs.

"Eh, no, I'll take my chances with you."

Hei finished cutting the other two ropes, allowing Marcile to stand and rub his sore wrist. Hei stood and glared at Marcile displeased.

"Where's Iasi?" Hei asked.

"Don't know. He disappeared after he told QU025 you and Misaki are here." Marcile began scanning the area. "Speaking of Misaki, where is she?"

"We got separated. Enough questions, we need to get out of here."

As Hei turned around, he was met by a sudden punch, and was thrown into the back wall. Unfortunately, his mask had been cracked in half from the sudden punch to reveal his face. Marcile looked on shocked, as Iasi stood before them with his right fist stretched outwards.

"L—Li… san?" questioned Marcile.

Xxx

Misaki, holding her gun before her, scurried carefully through the darkened depths of the building to find a way up. Unfortunately, she only found old laundry mats, banged up washers and driers, and other things that had been left behind.

Without warning, a figure in the distance glowed blue, as two red dots burned brightly. Misaki trained her gun towards it, but she found her momentum being halted.

"Kind of puts you in a disadvantage, doesn't it?" said QU025 while stepping forwards so that Misaki could see him. "Pity I have to kill you. But before I do, I would like to get some information out of you first."

"I wouldn't give you anything that I've dug up during my time in the Foreign Affairs," replied Misaki.

"Not that. I'm talking about our mother."

If Misaki could have, she would have slanted her eyes at QU025 peculiarly, but she said instead, "Our… mother?"

"She never told you, did she? I didn't think so. I guess she wanted to keep her mistake a secret from you and Naoyasu."

"What are you talking about?"

"Our mother, she had me while she was still in school. However, in order to go to college and all, she gave me up for adoption."

"Liar!"

"Far from it. Now I get to pay back our mother by killing my half baby sister." He smiled.

QU025 began to make Misaki raise the gun to the side of her head. He made her push it hard against her temple, as if to give her pain before her life expired.

"Sayonara, Misaki," he muttered with disgust.

Suddenly, a blue female figure appeared in a nearby corner. QU025 removed his hold on Misaki to grasp the new threat, but it smothered away as he took a hold of it. He gazed at it disbelieving, realizing the female figure had been a spectre. He came to his thoughts, turned around to take control of Misaki again, but stopped to see her aiming her gun at him.

"Put your hands up," she ordered. QU025 merely smiled. "Don't do it! It's not rational!"

"Since when has the last thing I done rational?"

QU025 began to highlight again, forcing Misaki to pull the trigger and put a bullet in the right side of his chest. QU025's radiant glow dissipated while he stumbled back and looked down at his wound, as blood pooled onto his shirt. He glared back at Misaki, coughing from the pain, and called on his power again.

Misaki, not hesitating, put another bullet in his stomach, and then a third in his heart. QU025 lost the strength in his legs and fell backwards. Misaki slowly walked up to him, her gun still locked onto him, and gazed down as he struggled to breathe.

He spewed up blood from his mouth while he disgustingly fixed his eyes on her.

"Why… why did she… love you… the… the… the most…?"

QU025's eyes slowly closed, as he drew his last breath. Misaki sighed and lowered her gun.

xxx

Marcile continued to stare at Hei, as though he had encountered a ghost.

"You… you can't… be?" he stuttered. "So that's the reason why Misaki didn't fire at you back at the warehouse! That's why she's been so secretive about you being back in town! She's known all this time about your true identity!"

"True identity?" questioned Iasi. "His true identity still needs to be revealed. Li Shengshun is only a convenient name, isn't that right, BK201."

Hei stood, cringing in pain as the other half portion of his mask slid off to shatter into pieces.

"Ah, Li Shengshun is, but not Li Shun," he stated.

"Tsk!"

Iasi charged at Hei and socked him to have him crash through a window. Hei flung out his wire to hook onto a light pole in order to swing towards the ground. Halfway down, he was met with a kick across his face. Hei's wire snapped from the impact, causing Hei to shoot like a rocket and bounce off a car to land on his stomach along the sidewalk.

He coughed out blood as he tried to stand. Iasi landed a few yards away from Hei, looking down at him with a neutral face.

"Why… why didn't you let QU025 kill me before?" Hei asked, trying to catch his breath.

"Why should I have?" questioned Iasi.

"You… you would have been rid of me then."

"Because you are the supreme Contractor out of us all. I wanted to kill Amber since she was the first, and you, due to the fact you have no price to pay. If I am to be the supreme Contractor, the Apostle of all Contractors, you both must die at my hands."

"Heh, that's irrational."

Hei stood to glare at Iasi with blood pouring down his forehead and mouth. His coat was torn on the bottom, and his cheeks had dirt along it, giving him the image of a hobo.

"As Amber had told you, I'm sure, us Contractors are acting on our emotions. I've been a Contractor so long; I've let my emotions get the best of me. However, I still have to pay my price. That alone makes me feel I haven't changed.

"Enough talking. It's time for you to die, BK201."

Iasi charged at Hei with Hei standing still. Iasi punched Hei in the face, but as it connected, Hei grabbed it to prevent him from soaring off, and made Iasi look on flabbergasted.

The next thing he felt was being electrocuted and screaming out his lungs. After Hei finished using his ability, Iasi stared at nothing particularly, and then fell forward as he muttered, "Im—impossible."

He flopped onto the ground unconscious.

Hei fell to his knees, breathing heavily from the fight. He couldn't believe he survived another battle. However, he had re-injured his ribs, and he would have to get them patched up again.

A click sounded behind him. Hei looked over his shoulder to gaze up at Marcile holding a gun he must have gotten from his captors' room.

"You're under arrest, BK201," he stated.

Misaki exited the abandon building, skidded to a stop, and looked on hysterically.

"No, don't!" she pleaded.

"Give me one good reason why? Why I shouldn't arrest you both?"

"Because I love him!" said Misaki, making Marcile snarl. "And… and…"

"And what, Chief?"

"He's… he's…"

She couldn't say it. How could she say it?

"Because I'm your father," finished Hei.

Marcile stared down at Hei dumbfounded, smiled, and said, "I didn't know Contractors could tell jokes."

"It's not!" spoke up Misaki. "He really is!"

Marcile snorted out a laugh, and said, "Oh yeah, prove it!"

"I don't have to! The pieces to the puzzle have been shown to you already!"

Marcile gazed on with unblinking eyes as his brain swirled with uncanny thoughts he had been told by Iasi. BK201 would suit the right age if Amber had indeed sent him back in time. More to the point, BK201's eyes were similar in color as his, and there was their big appetite for food.

As these thoughts clouded his brain, Hei took the opportunity to grab the gun and send a small shock into Marcile to knock him out. Marcile's eyes rolled up into his socket, as he fell backwards with Hei catching him to settle him onto the ground.

Misaki walked over to them, looking unsettled, as Hei gazed up at her concerned.

"You all right?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she said. "Are you sure you wanted to do that?"

"No, but I had no choice. What happened to QU025?"

"Dead. I had no choice on my part. I have to thank Yin for her distraction or I'd be lying in the basement dead." Sirens were heard in the distance. "Go, I got things here."

"But you'll be arrested for treason, and I'm sure Marcile will back things up."

"I'm fine with that, Hei."

Hei frowned, stood, and walked over to kiss her. He pulled away and looked into her eyes to say, "Li. Li Shun." Misaki stared at him puzzled. "That's my real name." He kissed her again. "I love you."

"I know."

Hei whipped out his line to hook onto a pole and flew off into the night. Minutes later, police cars pulled up to the scene to have cops exit them, and point their guns at Misaki. She sighed and raised her hands.

xxx

Marcile was leaning up against a patrol car, as Saitou and Kouno talked with a cuffed Misaki. Iasi was being held in the back of a cop car with his hands cuffed. He had tried talking his way out of things, but with Marcile's statement, Iasi's defense didn't go far.

After he was arrested, Saitou began his interrogation on Misaki. Marcile wondered what kind of crap she was feeding Saitou, and he figured Saitou believed every word.

Moments later, Saitou stepped away from Misaki and walked over to Marcile.

"Eh, Misaki-san said that BK201 was trying to help save you at your place and here," he said.

"She had said that?" Marcile asked.

"Yes."

"Did she tell you how BK201 escaped?"

"Yes. She had said that you had a gun at him, but he was too quick for you and he knocked you out."

"What did she do after that?"

"She said she fired at him. I checked the gun and showed it had been fired with two rounds missing. Why are you asking these questions? Is there something wrong?"

Marcile's eyes trailed over to Misaki who was staring at him with a worried expression, hypothesizing he would spill the beans about everything. Marcile frowned and said, "No, everything is as Misaki had said."

"All right."

Saitou returned to Misaki's side and removed the cuffs from her. She looked on shocked at Saitou at first, and then at Marcile. She walked over to him and leaned against the car next to him.

"Why didn't you tell them?" she whispered.

"I don't know. Probably because you and BK201 saved me."

"Nothing to do with the fact that he's…"

Marcile raised his right hand in a stop gesture, and said, "Just, don't talk about that to me right now, or I might change my mind, Chief."

Marcile pushed away from the car and began walking down the streets. Misaki watched him to read his body language and noticed his uneasiness.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: My apologies. This is a short chapter and it's more of a set up for the last ones. I'll try to get the next one up next month before Christmas. There's a game coming out November 15th that I'll be glued to for a while. :) Enjoy

Chapter 23: An Old Enemy

Past:

Amber roamed the streets of Japan to gather insight on the next outcome concerning the Sunspot. She had heard of events that had happened at Wang Shaotang hotel, the menace at Pandora that led them to losing the meteor shard and a Moratorium turning into a Contractor.

She rode a subway train, got off at the next platform, and slid her ticket through the gate exit to step through it. She passed a stand that had soda drinks, a cigarette machine, magazines and umbrellas with an old lady standing behind a cramped stand.

Amber randomly chose a direction and found her feet guiding her down a secluded street in Shinjuku under a cloudless sky. She came up to Homerun House just as the door slid open with the young girl exiting it while watching the television about a small dog show. A girl dressed in pink sat nearby. The young girl threw out water, and as she did it a second time, she doused Amber's clothes. Amber looked towards the girl, who jumped in fright.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said.

Amber smiled at her, and as she was about to continue her stroll along the road, she halted her departure as she noticed the back of familiar black hair on a young man. He was wearing a white shirt and blue pants, and was sitting at a table eating frantically with stacks of bowls next to him.

Her eyes widened in shock, whispering, "Hei?"

Wherever she went, it seemed she always bumped into him, but their meeting felt so apart due to her actions back in South America. No doubt, this Hei would kill her in a heartbeat, and yet, she was struggling with all her might from running towards him.

"Hm?" questioned the young girl, as she looked over at Hei. She smiled and returned her attention towards Amber. "Li-san caught your eye? He seems to do that with all the women in this city."

"Li… san?"

"Yep! He lives in room 201 at Misuzu's just a few blocks down." The young girl leaned towards Amber while placing her left hand in front of her mouth, and whispered, "But if you want a date with him, you have to stand in line."

The young girl stuck her thumb over her shoulder to point at the pink girl who was dreamily watching Hei eat.

"Is she his… girl… friend?" Amber asked, feeling jealous.

"Far from it! She's more of a stalker, but I don't think she'll like it if another girl got in her way."

Amber half-heartedly smiled at the pink girl and continued with her journey, spending her last few seconds gazing at Hei.

Once she was out of Hei's sight, he looked over his shoulder to gaze at the door, as though he had felt someone staring at him besides Kiko. Kiko quickly averted her eyes up at the television, as if pretending she wasn't staring at him. Hei narrowed his eyes at the door for a second more before returning to his meals.

Amber walked past an apartment complex she believed was Misuzu's to head across a bridge. She turned a few corners before coming up to a smoke shop, and as she was about to proceed on, she stopped to look at a young girl kneeling quietly inside it, wearing a purple dress.

A smile appeared on her face for accidently running into Hei's Doll. She figured she could use her to lure Hei out and persuade him to join her and change the events to come. However, she would have to do something in order to change her own routine so that she wouldn't encounter her past self.

"Yin, is it?" Amber asked.

Yin slightly shifted her head towards Amber, and nodded as droplets of rain fell.

"Can you tell me where the Syndicate hid the shard?"

A downpour began to pulverize the city.

Present:

Kirihara Misaki stood before her father in his office two days after the incident concerning Marcile and Iasi. Since Iasi had been arrested, the higher-ups forced Naoyasu to fill the Commander position in the mean time. Misaki figured her father was displeased since his work had now been doubled.

He glared at her with his fingers laced together and his elbows resting on his desk.

"You're quite lucky, Misaki," he said. "However, you are being demoted to detective and Matsumoto will be reinstated to take over your position."

"What? But why?" questioned Misaki, shocked. "I've been cleared of all charges concerning BK201."

"This comes from the higher-ups, Misaki. I have no control over the matter. In fact, it was I who informed them that you should take over the Commander position, but they wouldn't hear of it. It is my belief that they want someone who will jump when he or she is told to, and you're not like that."

"Do you have any idea who is supposed to take over as Commander?"

"Some guy who looks like a fat Hitler. However, he's in Hawaii right now and he won't be in town for another week.

"As for QU025 being related to you…" Naoyasu sat in silence for a few seconds. "The file I got… It had said that some of his DNA matched yours."

"Is that so?" Her right eyelid drooped while she placed her right hand under her chin. "So he wasn't lying about that."

"No he wasn't. Misaki, I want to assure you that I had no idea either."

Misaki lowered her hand, and said, "I had already figured that out, Father."

"Good, now get back to work."

"Hai!" she shouted at attention.

Misaki exited her father's office to enter an elevator, descended to the Foreign Affairs floor, and stepped out to see Matsumoto talking and shaking hands with Saitou, Kouno and Ootsuka. They turned to face her to have Matsumoto burst out in a huge smile, and headed over to her.

"Chief!" he chimed, stepping before her and bowing to have her bow in response. "It's been a while."

"Yes it has," she said. "And it's Detective Kirihara, Section-Chief Matsumoto."

"Me? Chief?" he said while he and everybody else looked on flabbergasted. "No way. You're my Chief. I'll always follow your lead, as I'm sure everybody else would."

Misaki looked at her colleagues who were nodding their heads. She smiled and said, "Thanks."

"By the way, where's the kid who took over my spot from the get-go?"

"He's been given a few days off with pay."

Xxx

Marcile, who was walking back home, sneezed suddenly. He cursed, remembering that Japanese joke about someone sneezing when somebody was talking behind his or her back. To his luck, it was probably Misaki.

For the life of him, he still couldn't figure out why he didn't turn her in. Why had he done that to begin with? Did he believe it was because she had already been imprisoned since she couldn't have a normal life with BK201, or was it because he had some guilty conscious about the whole monstrosity?

He figured it was best not to linger on the thought. However, he couldn't stop thinking about what BK201 had said to him. It wasn't possible. He was deceiving him and Misaki since he was a Contractor. He had to have been in order to use it as a distraction to escape.

The sun seemed to have been giving off an uncomfortable feeling, which told him that the sun's black spot was forming. It only happened every five years, and soon it will be at its peek. He knew more trouble was on the horizon, and it was probably going to be worse than what Iasi and QU025 had dealt him.

Marcile reached his apartment complex, ascended the stairs, and noticed two ladies standing before his door.

Before he could say anything, they turned towards him smiling, raised their right hands before their faces, and said, "Nihao!"

Marcile's eyes widened and blinked at the two ladies baffled.

"Oh my," began the lady to the right. "You're not the young Chinese man from five years ago."

Marcile narrowed his eyes and said, "You mean… Li Shengshun?"

Did anybody in this cluttered city not know of the heretic known as Li Shengshun? It would be a blessing to Marcile if he could talk to some stranger who didn't bring up that name.

"You know him?" the woman to the left said. "Oh, you do kind of look like him. Are you two brothers?"

"Far from it!" said Marcile, sarcastically. "Li-_san_ left this place five years ago."

"Oh, how sad," said the lady to the right. "We were hoping he would sign up for our religion again in honor of Alma's fifth year anniversary."

"How tragic she had to pass away before the Tokyo Explosion. Many of us believed it wouldn't have happened if she were still alive."

"Hai, hai. She was so marvelous in her wisdom."

"Ah, that's great," babbled Marcile with a slight smile of annoyance he was trying to hide. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get my food in the fridge before they spoil."

"Let us help you with that so we can tell you more," the two women sang.

They looked down into the plastic bag to see it full of food.

"Oh my!" the lady to the right said. "You have an appetite like Li-chan!"

"Oh, so true," said the other lady. "If anybody knows his appetite…"

Marcile braced himself for the worse from the two ladies.

"… We do!" they chimed together and posed as they had done when they first greeted Marcile.

Unfortunately, he wasn't ready for their assault and dropped his bags from hysteria.

Xxx

Misaki drove home late in the day, exhausted from the long day and accepting the fact that she no longer ran the Foreign Affairs unit. Matsumoto struggled with the new position and figured he should have stayed retired. He kept on asking Misaki what to do on certain things in which she took over for a moment to guide him. Her father seemed to be disappointed, but he had said nothing of it.

She pulled up to her apartment to exit her vehicle, entered the complex to step onto an elevator, and rode it up to her floor. She departed from it and headed leftwards down the hall to her apartment. Once she reached it, Misaki pulled out her keys to unlock her door, and entered to see a woman sitting on her couch with a few men standing next to her. She had long brown hair, wore a tan business suit with a white shirt and a red tie, which seemed as though it was suited more for a man, and rectangular glasses.

Misaki reached into her purse to pull out her gun, forcing the guards to reach for theirs under their coats. The woman raised her hands and waved it downwards to order her men to stand down. They did so while straightening out their suits.

"Welcome home, Detective Kirihara Misaki," said the woman. "You can put that away. I'm not here to kill you."

"Who are you?" Misaki asked, keeping her gun at the ready.

"I'm hurt that you don't see the resemblance in him. I mean, due to my feminine look, I almost look like him."

Misaki narrowed her eyes to get a better fix on her, and then concluded on a solution.

"Are you related to Eric Nishijima?" Misaki guessed. The brown-haired woman nodded. "His twin sister, I take it?"

"No," she shook her head while crossing her legs. "I… am… Eric Nishijima."

Misaki's eyes twitched, as she said, "Eric Nishijima was a man, not a female, and if my memory serves me right, he was shot and killed by Yoshimitsu Hourai five years ago."

"I did die five years ago. At least the real Eric Nishijima died. I'm just a mere copy created by a young boy named Shion Pavlichenko."

"A… a… copy?" babbled Misaki.

Eric smiled to see her discomfort.

"However, there are side effects, as you can see," he continued. "More to the point, I am not the first person he had copied either. He had in fact copied himself once before. Poor girl had no idea."

"And then the Syndicate used M.E to implant Eric's memories into you."

"I see you still have your smarts after these five years have slipped by. As I had told Hourai before he had shot me, the Syndicate needs me. It would have been a waste of my great talents if I were lying six feet underground.

"However, you're partially right. Someone who had been copied just can't be fed memories so easily. What we need is some kind of anchor for memories." She pulled out a small orange sphere that was wrapped around her neck and peered through it. "Without this beauty, I wouldn't be standing here before you."

"What is it?" Misaki asked.

"That's not important to why I'm here," she said while hiding the shard behind her coat.

"Why are you here?" Misaki asked nervously, already knowing the answer.

"To offer you Hourai's old position, if you're willing to side with our beliefs."

"And that means the annihilation of Contractors and Dolls."

"Exactly, detective," nodded Eric. "Of course, you'd have to give up your relationship with BK201 in the process."

"What was…? I have no idea…" stuttered Misaki, as her heart began to beat heavily and sweat ran down her forehead.

"You can't fool the Syndicate, Kirihara-san. We have eyes everywhere. We know that you've slept with him as well."

"Are you trying to blackmail me?"

"You misunderstand me. The Syndicate doesn't need to blackmail anybody. We just want your services since you have tremendous intelligence. You were able to find out Li Shengshun was BK201 and to understand our true determination."

"You also must know that I'll decline your offer no matter what you say. I couldn't live with myself if I was responsible for the deaths of countless lives."

"You still seem to misunderstand me, Kirihara-san. You can decline our offer, but we will get you to serve us, even if it means abstracting your memories. And I assure you, it's easier to control a clone than a human being."

Something started to glow behind her. Misaki swirled around to see a female Contractor with blond hair radiating in blue. Misaki began to tighten her finger on the trigger, but before she could pull it, she found herself passing out.


	24. Chapter 24

Past Disaster

Chapter 24: Missing

Past:

Amber walked amongst the crowd in Vladivostok wearing a heavy white winter coat, matching winter hat and boots. Her price had given her the age of an eighteen-year-old girl. She still held onto Harry, carrying and nurturing him like a mother should, although she had left him behind with Brita.

Snow had fallen heavily throughout the days to have the local kids run around crazy and throw snowballs at each other. Amber pictured Harry doing it fifteen years from now; making her wonder, would she ever get to see that moment. She wondered if he would ever smile as Hei had done the night they had made love.

Love!

It sounded like an irrational thing years ago, but now she couldn't stop listening to how her heart pounded whenever she thought about Hei and Harry.

Amber pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. She was here for one reason and it concerned a Contractor who went by the name of Amagiri. He had a potential she wanted and figured she could persuade him to leave FSB.

Unexpectedly, a young girl around seven, who was taking pictures of her friends, bumped into Amber. She had red hair that was tied back into a ponytail, and wore a heavy blue coat.

"Oh, I'm sorry, miss," the girl apologized.

Amber smiled and said, "It's quite all right."

"Suou! Hurry up and take a picture!" shouted one of her friends that had blonde hair.

"I'm getting to it, Tanya!" shouted the girl named Suou. Suou pointed the camera at her friends, but stopped and looked back at Amber. "Can you take a picture with us all in it?"

"Sure," replied Amber, taking the camera.

Suou jumped before her friends while giving a victory sign with her right hand and smiled. Amber pointed the camera at them and snapped a shot. Suou ran over to Amber to retrieve her camera and said, "Thank you so much."

"Suou, lets go before it gets too dark!" yelled Tanya.

"Coming!"

Suou ran off with her friends and disappeared around a corner. Amber continued walking down the street and entered a bar that read Meteop on a sign under a staircase. A bald plump man stood behind the counter smoking a cigarette serving a man with red hair gazing only through one eye.

The bartender looked at her baffled due to her age, but looked away to walk off into the back. Amber walked over to the man she knew to be Amagiri and sat next to him.

"I'm impressed you came," he said. "How do you know I don't have an ambush waiting for you?"

"Because it would be irrational to do such a thing after what I had written in that letter I left on your desk," replied Amber. "You being here tells me that you believe my path is the only rational thing left to do."

"So it's true then. You're not trying to deceive me in anyway to get Intel on FSB."

"Not at all. If anything, I can get it myself."

"Then how about you try getting the information out of me," said someone at the door.

Amber and Amagiri looked towards it to see a blond-haired man holding a bag full of burgers.

"Goran?" questioned Amagiri. "How'd you know I'd be here?"

"I didn't, but the big shots did."

As the bartender stepped out of the backroom, Amagiri jumped up from his stool and pointed his right arm at Goran to shoot a heavy gust of energy. Goran radiated in blue and ran to his left to miss the wave, but accidentally ran into the bar to flip over and crash into the liquor bottles. The bartender's eyes widened in fear and ran into the back room.

"Ouch, ouch!" Goran mumbled, as he stood with glass and liquor dripping off him. "Still haven't gotten use to my powers." He pulled out a burger and ate it. "I guess it'll take me a while."

Amagiri shot another wave at Goran who quickly jumped over the bar, also slamming into the ceiling and falling onto his stomach. He stood to his feet and glared at Amagiri while eating another burger.

"Why don't you… surrender… and make it… easier… on us both," he said between bites. "I really don't want cramps… in the morning."

Having enough of the masquerade, Amber highlighted in blue, forcing Goran to mirror her actions, but he ended up being frozen. She walked over to Amagiri and flicked him on the forehead, making him stare in wonderment.

"Shall we go?" she asked, heading for the front door.

"A…? Ah, sure," he muttered, following her.

Moments later, without warning, Goran's body unfroze to have him plow through the bar's window.

"OUCH!"

Xxx

Hei sat on a bench in a mall called Twelve Oaks mall in Novi, Michigan near JCPenny. It was a vast building with two levels, white tile flooring, white pillars and glass railings. Since it was built on a hill site in an awkward T-shape, some areas allowed access out on the second floor. His current doll, Liu, sat next to him on the first floor, making it seem as though they were a couple.

Mao had stated he looked like a pervert with an under-aged girl. To Mao's luck, he ended up spending a majority of his time trying to knot out his tail during their drive along the nearby freeway.

They were present in the area due to the fact that a Contractor by the Messer code, BY667, who worked for a small group roaming around in the states, was in town. Reports indicated that he had been spotted around Novi, and as they drew closer, Liu had indicated that he was in here.

She took a hold of her pendant that was lying on her chest. Hei glanced at her as her spectre appeared out of metal objects to hunt for the Contractor.

They patiently waited for twenty minutes.

"Found him," said Liu. "Mid area. Second floor."

Hei stood with Liu following suit, stepped onto a nearby escalator, and headed for the mid section of the mall. Hei tried his best to look casual while keeping his doll by his side. A majority of the shoppers ignored them, but there happened to be a few couples that gave them a peculiar look.

Hei hated to admit it, but Mao might have been right. However, it was unfortunate for him he wouldn't get an apology since it was irrational. Although, as Hei thought about it, it was irrational for him to tie up Mao's tail.

Hei and Liu reached their destination. The area seemed like a roundabout intersection that had three different directions to choose. A ramp that had a nearby stair and two elevators lay in the mist.

Hei located his target leaning against the glass railing, looking down at the shoppers. He was a black man, slightly taller than Hei, skinny, had long laced hair and wore baggy clothes.

"What now?" Liu asked.

"We wait and follow him," replied Hei. "The last thing we need is a panic."

Liu nodded, and stood as casual as she could next to Hei while he kept a keen eye on his prey.

BY667 stayed stationary for a few minutes before deciding to head down a nearby staircase. Hei let him get a head start before cautiously trailing him. BY667 headed across the mid section, entered a small chocolate store, and began staring at different foods. Hei noticed him stealing a Godiva bar and then departed the store. He continued on his way, passing a store with a big M on it.

Hei began to have a sickening feeling in his stomach, wondering if he was going to throw up, or perhaps his cover was blown.

Just as he thought about it, BY667 turned around to face Hei, radiated blue, and placed his hand on a nearby glass window to have a bullet like object shoot from it at Hei. Hei's attention span shrunk into a small time frame, as he saw his life flashing before his eyes.

To his disbelief, Liu jumped in front of him, piercing her heart and body, and killing her instantly. Hei watched as her fragile body fell lifelessly, and hit the ground with a thud. He stared down at her, her arms sprawled outwards like wings with her head turned sideways, as blood pooled out of her wound.

Shoppers began screaming and running in fright, as BY667 prepared to shoot another glass bullet.

"_Hei, what's going on!" _shouted Mao in his ear. _"HEI!"_

Hei snapped out of his daze, and dodged a bullet as it fired. However, it was unfortunate for a young male, as he was struck by it instead. Hei whipped out his wire that he had hidden in his coat, and flung it at BY667. BY667 removed his hand from the glass, dodged the wire, and ran off. Hei followed in pursuit.

BY667 ran by a booth stand, stealing some type of jewelry, stopped in front of another window to place his hand on it, and shot a third glass bullet. Hei rolled under it, and flung his wire again to wrap it around BY667's neck. BY667 snatched at it, grinding his teeth and preparing for Hei's next move.

Hei started calling on his ability, but like the last time, he hesitated on using his sister's power.

BY667 smiled, placed his hand on the window, and started glowing blue. Hei, grinding his teeth, released his line and rolled out of the path of the glass bullet.

BY667 turned around to escape while stealing a woman's shopping bag. Hei gathered himself, stood up, and ran after his prey to see him run out one of the side entrances. Hei rushed out of the mall and scrambled into the parking lot where BY667 ran down the aisle. He pulled out his knife and threw it at BY667.

The blade pierced his back to have him fall forward. He used all his might to stand, stumbled over to a car, and reached out his hand towards the glass. However, before he could touch it, Hei grabbed his head and threw him to the ground. BY667 stared up at Hei in fright.

"Wait," he said. "Spare me, and I'll give you my bosses' names."

"Why would I?" Hei asked.

"You're a Contractor. It's the rational thing to do."

Hei stared at him for a second, and then said, "Contractors like you make me sick."

He called on his power, and killed BY667.

Xxx

A thin and muscular average-sized western man in his forties sat next to a plump man in a park under a sunny cloudless sky. The grass, that hadn't been attended to, swayed in the calm wind as the tree leaves that blanketed the bench ruffled. The plump man wore a raincoat and had on a golf cap.

"BK201 is too reckless," said the golf cap man. "There were too many witnesses. Not to mention, due to his actions, we lost a perfectly fine and expensive Doll."

"Are you planning on annihilating him?" the muscular man asked.

"As much as I would love to, the Syndicate doesn't. They have other plans for him and Mao in Japan."

"Japan, hey?" The muscular man's left eyelid rose. "A lot is going on over there with Hell's Gate. I'd like to see what assignments the Syndicate gives them. No doubt with them leaving, you're going as well."

"Far from it. They're keeping me here in the States. I shouldn't complain. I believe Hei's going to explode and take the people around him down."

The golf cap man stood and headed off.

Present:

Marcile woke to his phone ringing on his table. He looked at his clock to see it was seven in the morning, making him curse under his breath from interrupting his dream since it was a pleasant one. He and Azumi were having a splendid picnic in a nearby park sitting happily, and eating bento she had prepared as they laughed the day away.

He picked up the phone and placed it to his ear to say groggily in English, "Hello?"

"_DETECTIVE FUKAZAWA!"_ shouted Saitou in his ear, making Marcile pull the phone away. _"I have a favor to ask of you!"_

"So early?"

"_Hai! It's the Chief!"_

"Matsumoto? Has he done something bad already?"

"_No, no. Not him. Eh, how'd you know he is the new Chief?"_

"I called yesterday about some stuff I was working on. Ootsuka-san told me."

"Oh. It's Misaki-san. I'm worried about her. She hasn't shown up for work yet and she's not answering her phone."

"Maybe she quit since she couldn't be the leader of the pack."

"Not Misaki-san. I think something bad has happened. Can you go by her place and see if she's alright?"

"Wha—why me? Why can't you? It'd be quicker for you since you have a car."

"I'm swamped with work. I gotta cover yours and Misaki-san's at the moment."

Marcile sighed and said, "All right, I'll check it out."

"_THANK YOU SO MUCH!" _

Marcile cringed from the excruciating pain his eardrum was suffering, and closed his phone. He figured the love-stricken officer was over exaggerating and he guessed Misaki merely forgot to set her alarm clock.

Marcile stood from his futon to turn on a light, changed into a green long sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and threw on a baseball cap. He put on some deodorant, brushed his teeth, and threw on some cologne to camouflage the night stench.

He exited his apartment with the sun peeking over Hell's Gate and, to his expectation; Azumi was rocking up against the railing. She wore a tight yellow shirt and a blue mini skirt with black nylons.

"Mars-sama!" she screamed, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Wha—what are you…?" he stuttered.

"I have the day off from school, so I was going to walk with you to your work, but I wondered if I missed you since it's already seven-thirty."

"I was given some time off with pay."

She pushed away from him smiling and said, "Really?"

"Yeah. You should have told me you had the day off from school. Tell you what. I got something to do. How about we do something together later."

"How about I tag along and we can do something together right after."

"Eh?" Marcile pondered if he should bring her along since something might have happened. He pushed the thought away and believed he was over exaggerating. "Sure. Why not."

"So what do you have to do?"

Marcile, hoping Azumi wouldn't get jealous, said, "One of my superiors wants me to check on my former chief. She didn't show up for work this morning."

"Maybe she forgot to set her alarm clock."

Marcile smiled as they descended the stairs to head for the JR line. As soon as they arrived, Azumi stumbled slightly, as she grabbed at her leg. Marcile looked at her concerned.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Yeah. I still haven't recovered fully from the fall. It still hurts at times, but not seeing Nachi walking down the halls at school hurts more. Does it ever go away? The pain you feel?"

Marcile thought for a second as he thought of his parents that had raised him. He remembered the day as if it was yesterday when his father was killed and buried. He couldn't stop crying for months, and his mother wasn't any better at dealing with the pain. Marcile eventually was able to come around, but the pain still lingered around.

The mental wound from his mother's passing a few months back had patched up somewhat since then.

"No, but it does get better," he said.

Azumi smiled as he gave her a slight peck on the cheek. They entered the station, headed up the stairs, and waited on the platform for the next train. Within minutes, it pulled up to allow a group of commuters on. Marcile and Azumi stepped on and rode it to Misaki's neighborhood.

Once there, they exited the train, descended the stairs, and headed for Misaki's apartment. As they walked, Marcile cuddled Azumi in his arms, making her rub her head against his chest, and have him rub her shoulder.

They reached Misaki's apartment, entered the complex, and rode the elevator up to her floor. They stepped from it, walked down the hall, and stepped before her door. Marcile knocked on the door, causing it to creak open slightly. He and Azumi looked at it puzzled, making Marcile narrow his eyes while drawing his weapon.

"Azumi, wait here," he pleaded.

She nodded and stepped back, as Marcile slowly opened the door to enter. He scanned the room, hoping to see Misaki, but the place was empty.

"Misaki-san!" he shouted.

Marcile went to investigate the bathroom and peeked into it with his gun at the ready to see it was deserted. He departed it and cautiously entered the bedroom where Misaki's bed showed it hadn't been occupied last night.

"It's clear, Azumi," he said.

Azumi entered the room dumbfounded, as she stepped beside Marcile while he pulled out his phone to dial a number and placed it to his ear.

"_Saitou here," _he said.

"Saitou-san, its Marcile. No signs of Misaki."

"_No signs of her? What do you mean? Are you in her place?"_

"Ah," he said, and told Saitou what he knew.

"_HER DOOR WAS OPEN!"_ Marcile flinched from the sudden scream. He was getting sick of that. _"What do you think happened?"_

"I don't know!" shouted Marcile in frustration, and let his annoyance towards Saitou get the best of him. "Maybe she finally woke up and rushed out to get to work while forgetting to close the door!"

"If that was the case, then her car wouldn't be parked in the garage," said a voice Marcile recognized.

Marcile spun on his heals while dropping his phone in the process, and pulled out his gun to aim it at BK201. Azumi gasped in fright from the sight of his mask.

"_Who was that?" _shouted Saitou. _"Fukazawa, you still there? Hello? Fukazawa!"_

"What are you doing here?" said Marcile.

"Trying to save Misaki," said BK201. "My Doll saw what had happened. Unfortunately, I couldn't move fast enough to save her from Pandora."

"Pa—Pandora? Why would they want her?"

"You're the detective. You'll be able to figure it out."

BK201 leaped off Misaki's balcony in the blink of an eye. Marcile ran over to it and looked down to see he was gone. He scanned the area, hoping to see if there was any trashcans nearby he might have used to hide in, but there was none.

"Damn it!" he muttered.

"_Fukazawa! Fukazawa!"_ shouted Saitou's voice through the phone. Marcile headed back to pick up it and placed it to his ear. _"FUKAZAWA!"_

"AH!" screamed Marcile, pulling the phone away from his ear. "Would you not do that?"

"_Sorry. What happened?"_

"I had a visitor. BK201. He told me Misaki was kidnapped."

"_The chief was taken hostage? By him?"_

"He claims he didn't," Marcile lied. He had no choice due to Hei and Misaki's Romeo and Juliet romance. Thankfully, Azumi was so petrified that she didn't catch it. "And I hate to say it, but I believe him. You might want to tell Matsumoto-san to put out an APB concerning Misaki-san."

"_Hai! I'm on it."_

Marcile closed his phone and looked at Azumi with a half smirk.

"Take a rain check?"

xxx

Misaki woke from a throbbing headache; her eyes took a few seconds to focus slightly, as she realized her glasses were missing. She sat up, noticing she had been lying on a white stiff futon sofa next to a table with and lamp on it. The room was white and only had a fluorescent tube shining down from the ceiling.

Misaki noticed she wasn't wearing her blue suit, but a white thin robe that came down to her knees. She blushed as she realized somebody had undressed and redressed her. To her luck, she was still wearing her own undergarments. Hei was the only one she allowed to see her exposed skin. How dare someone do such a thing? She had hoped Pandora had at least been courteous enough to allow another woman to dress her.

A door with a keypad was located to her right. Misaki stood from the futon and walked over to the door to pound on it. To her surprise, it slid open. She stepped through the door to see a vast room with another white futon couch stationed before a flat screen television, sitting on a white table. The room was similar to the other one.

Misaki located another door with a keypad and walked over to see if the door would open. However, it didn't.

"That's as far… as you go… young lady," said a rugged, but familiar voice.

She turned around to see Dr. Schrader standing by another door that led into a second room, probably for his use. He had grown more wrinkles, his skin whiter than the room, and he had lost his hair. He also had an oxygen tank next to him with a breathing mask over his mouth.

"It's wonderful… to see you again… before… my passing," he continued with a half-hearted smile.

"Before your passing?" she questioned.

"Because of my… hard… research… ninety percent of my body… has cancer. Only my brain… is cancer free. But… that is only a matter of time.

"Enough of my welfare…" He waddled over to the couch, sat down while coughing, and stared up at Misaki. "How have you been? Caught… your man yet?"

"You mean, BK201? I'm surprised Eric never told you since he knows."

"Eric? Thought… he was killed?"

"Eh?" Misaki's eyes widened from disbelief. "What's the last thing you've heard about?"

"Tokyo… Explosion," he coughed. "I… I've been under house arrest since…"

"What? Why?"

"For my safety… against EPR…"

"So they say, but it's more about your failure."

Dr. Schrader coughed, as he laughed, and said, "I haven't seen the sky since… since BK201 put a hole in… in the command room's ceiling.

"But again… what about you?"

"I've been fine. Wait a minute. Eric said he wanted my brain for his purpose. I wonder if…?"

She checked to see if there was an orange shard around her neck, but she didn't find one.

"You are still you, Kirihara Misaki," said someone from the door.

Misaki turned around to see her former director staring at her with a smug look. Misaki's heart pounded heavily against her chest as sweat poured down her cheek, but held her composure before the man who had almost strangled her to death.

"You mean I'm not a clone?" she questioned.

Hourai's eyes narrowed at her. Suddenly, he charged at her to grab her by the neck, and threw her against the wall. She took a hold of his hands as she gasped for air from his metallic grip while Schrader yelled in fright.

"Right where we left off, Kirihara," he muttered to her face. "It'll please me to see the last bit of your breath leave you after you caused me so much trouble."

Misaki, struggling to keep conscious, used all her strength and kicked Hourai between the legs. He cringed from the pain, releasing his hold on Misaki, and allowing her to run out the door.

However, she was met with a rifle's butt to her forehead.

Xxx

Misaki regained her senses to see she was tied to a chair in an interrogation room. Before her was Eric looking at her with a smug smile.

"Not wise to run off like that, Kirihara-san," he said.

"Why—why don't you get it over with and take my mind so I can die in peace," she muttered.

"You still seem to misunderstand me," he said, causing Misaki to look at him perplexed. "We do want your memory, but we also want you to trap BK201."

Misaki gasped.


	25. Chapter 25

Past Disaster:

A/N: I'm sorry to say, but this is a short chapter. I tried to fine ways of making this longer, but I couldn't without taking from the next chapter. As a bonus, I'll try to have 26 up before the New Year.

Chapter 25: A Crushing and Confused Heart

Past:

Amber, wearing a blue school uniform, traveled into the future to see what lies ahead. Contractors were still around, but like last time, word was spreading that the real stars were going to reappear. She made a trip down Shinjuku, wanting to see her son again, and wondered if it was the right thing to do.

Her heart ached every time she thought about him. He was like a drug that she couldn't get over, and she needed to be close to him, or gaze upon his very being.

She reached Shinjuku moments later to head towards Misuzu's apartment. She came to a halt, as she spotted her son leaning against the bridge railing while his neighbors threw a party at his apartment complex.

She noticed an iPod in his hands, meaning that her message had been delivered to him. Her heart began to pound in her chest, wanting to go walk towards him. This was probably her last time she would get to talk with him.

She began heading in his direction, stretching out her hand for him, but she held her ground as she noticed a young girl approaching him. The girl had on a tight light blue shirt, blue mini-skirt, and black nylons with a pink wool newsboy hat slanted sideways. She looked beautiful, making Amber wonder if they were something.

They talked to each other, having Amber watch curiously. After for what seemed like minutes, they leaned into each other and kissed.

Amber smiled; pleased to see her son had found someone special. She decided to depart the area to leave them alone.

She continued walking around the streets, taking in the warm night air while gazing up at the fake stars. It seemed peaceful, but there was trouble brewing. The fight with the Syndicate was far from over in this time, and in the future.

Amber came to a still, as she noticed Yin standing nearby.

"Amber," she said.

"Hello again, Yin," replied Amber. "Thank you for everything that you have done for me." Yin nodded. "There's one more request I wish to ask of you."

"Hei. You want to know where he is, right?"

"If you don't mind. I need to see him again. To explain why I did it. Why I left him behind and never told him about Harry."

Yin stood in silence for a second, and then nodded.

Xxx

Amber headed for the batting cages where Hei and Kirihara Misaki had spent a date. She rode the J.R line, wishing it would go faster. To her, it was like riding on the back of a slug. The tension and emotion that was building inside her felt like it was going to explode in one burst. She hadn't felt like this in years. The first time she had experienced these feelings was before turning into a Contractor, and then meeting Hei.

It was tormenting, but also blissful, and she wished she would have these feelings forever. It seemed so irrational before, but now it felt so right. Alas, her time on this world was growing short, and she would be gone from it.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she reached her destination. Amber exited the train, descended the stairs, and headed to where Hei was.

It had been so long for her since she had been in Hei's presence, and it would soon end. However, it was only a limited time, and she knew his heart belonged to another now.

Amber knew what she was feeling towards the detective woman was jealousy. She tried to bury it, believing that that was irrational since she couldn't be with him, but it still hurt more than what words could explain.

She came to the batting cages, noticing it was empty, and believing she had missed her chance. She thought about turning back the clock to see him, but her time was running short as it was.

Perhaps this was her fate.

Amber continued heading down the street, but then came to a stop, and turned her head to her right. She spotted Hei gazing up at the stars as he had while holding Bai. Her heart began to pound heavily against her chest, wondering if she should say anything.

Amber opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out. She took in a deep breath, swallowing all her fears, and opened her mouth again.

Present:

Marcile stood before Naoyasu with Matsumoto and Saitou next to him. Naoyasu sat forward in his chair, looking at Marcile and Saitou displeased concerning his daughter. Marcile wouldn't be surprised if he got fired for his actions. How was he supposed to know Commander Kirihara would be peeved?

As Marcile thought about it, if he were to have a daughter some day, he too would be extremely ticked off at the news.

"Why didn't you come to me first, Detective Yuusuke," he said. "Why did you contact Detective Fukazawa first?"

"Because I didn't want to concern you, sir," said Saitou at attention.

"Concern me? She's my daughter, Detective. I care about her well being as much as you do." Naoyasu looked over at Marcile. "And you! You're off duty for the week! What was the reason for you to go check on her?"

"Saitou-san asked me to, sir," replied Marcile, gulping.

"I don't care if that big moron asked you to go pick up a burger from McDoness for him. Next time, let me know what you're doing."

"Sorry, sir."

Commander Kirihara sighed, leaned back in his chair, and said, "Did you find anything that suggests who kidnapped Detective Kirihara?"

"No, but I have a theory, sir. Pandora."

"Pa—Pandora? What would they want with her?"

"I don't know, sir, but I thought it would be best if we asked Pandora a few questions on the matter."

Naoyasu's right eyelid rose at his comment.

"Ask Pandora a few questions?" he questioned, sounding like a broken record. "That's a highly unlikely thing since Pandora has their own laws. Misaki had a hard time getting a private discussion with Schrader in the past. You think it's possible just to drive up to the front gate and say, 'Hello, we're here to talk with your superiors about a missing police officer.' I think not, Detective. You should be grateful that you haven't been let go from this department since it was Iasi who hired you."

"Yes, sir."

The phone on Naoyasu's desk rang. He frowned at it, picked it up and said, "This is Commander Kirihara." He paused as he listened to the person on the other line. "Pa—Pandora? What may I…? You wish to speak with him! May I ask why?" He paused again. "Understood. I'll send him over with the Section-Chief. They should arrive within the hour."

Naoyasu hung up the phone and looked up at Marcile smiling with his hands laced together.

"Looks like you get your wish, Detective Fukazawa," he continued saying. "You and Section-Chief Matsumoto are to head over to Pandora right now."

"Eh? But why?" asked Marcile.

"I would like to know myself, but they wouldn't tell me."

"Request permission to go along," said Saitou.

"Request denied. I think they would have denied Matsumoto going if Marcile had his own license."

"Eh?" muttered Marcile.

xxxx

Matsumoto and Marcile drove towards Hell's Gate with Marcile gazing at the city. As they drew closer, he noticed residence were minor in the area. He found it creepy here and didn't blame the people of Tokyo avoiding the vicinity.

"You ever been in Pandora?" Marcile asked.

"Once, and that was five years ago," replied Matsumoto, keeping his eyes on the road.

"The… Tokyo Explosion?" Marcile questioned, looking back at Matsumoto startled.

"Ah, and that wasn't fun." Matsumoto frowned.

"I would imagine not. Just hearing about it on the news the next day sent chills down my spine, and I wasn't even in high school yet."

"Tell me about it. It only feels like yesterday Saitou and me were charging into this place to save Misaki."

"What was she doing there anyways?"

"Trying to gather information about South America's Gate, but she got caught up in more than she could handle at the time."

The fence line that kept the citizens out came into view. It seemed the city beyond it looked to be a desolate place and far creepier than he had seen before. He'd hate to see what lay behind the gate.

"We're here," said Matsumoto, a shiver escaping through his voice.

Marcile looked towards Pandora, as the guards waved them through the fenced-gate. Marcile awed at the size of the place. They drove up a service ramp, turned a corner, and passed through the gate leading inside it.

They pulled into the parking lot, and as Matsumoto parked his car, they were met by a platoon holding rifles at the ready. Matsumoto and Marcile exited the vehicle looking nervous.

The platoon leader stepped before Matsumoto and said, "I'm Lieutenant Dan, and I'll be your escort."

The Foreign Affair members were surrounded and then ushered to follow the platoon's lead. They entered the main building, Marcile was amazed at how brightly lit the place was after coming in from dismal atmosphere, and stepped before a security checkpoint where Matsumoto and Marcile gave up their firearms.

After they were fully searched, they were guided down a hallway for a few minutes, their shoes clanking off the smooth surface, before being gestured into a room. A desk stood in the middle where a Japanese man waited. He had dyed blond hair, dark eyes, and he wore a black suit with a red tie.

"Welcome to Pandora, gentlemen," said the suited man. "Please, have a seat." Marcile and Matsumoto took their seat across from him. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Hayabatsu Aoki."

"I am Section-Chief Matsumoto, and this is Detective Fukazawa Marcile, as I'm sure you already know. May I ask why you have asked to meet with my officer?"

Aoki sat still for a second before he started scratching at his right ear, and then said, "We are looking for young and intelligent men to fill in an opening here at Pandora. We've looked through your records, Detective Fukazawa, and you are more than qualified."

"So… this is an interview?" asked Marcile, as his right eyelid rose.

"Yes. We promise you full benefits, and we will even double the pay you're getting at the Foreign Affairs."

Marcile thought for a second, and then said, "Sorry, but I'll pass. Since I'm here, though, can I ask you a question?"

Aoki titled his head while his eyes rolled up slightly. It looked as if information was being downloaded into his brain.

"Eh, sure," he said, returning his attention towards Marcile.

"Do you know anything about Kirihara-san's disappearance from her apartment last night?"

Aoki stared at Marcile stupidly, and then began scratching at his ear again, causing Marcile to narrow his eyes at him peculiarly. He then scanned the top corners of the room, looking for anything out of place, and saw a small vent in the top right corner with a red light shining through it.

"No, we don't," he said. "Sorry to hear about that. May I ask why you had asked that question?"

"Just wondering if Pandora might have heard anything about it," said Marcile, staring back at Aoki. "Eh, is there something wrong with your right ear? You keep scratching at it."

"Eh? Err… I have a slight ear infection. I'll be fine though."

"Oh, that's good to know. Is there anything else you might have to offer me; a bigger paycheck, some clues or thoughts at perhaps who might have taken Kirihara-san?"

"I'm sorry, but no." Aoki shook his head.

"Then I think we're done."

Matsumoto and Marcile stood to leave with Aoki mirroring them.

"If you change your mind, Detective Fukazawa, don't hesitate to call us," said Aoki, as he handed over Pandora's number.

Marcile looked at it, and then back at Aoki to say, "Keep it."

Matsumoto and Marcile turned to leave with the platoon leading them back to the car. Once they were safely in it and out of Hell's Gate, Marcile breathed out easily.

"Surprised they asked to hire you?" Matsumoto asked.

"Not really," replied Marcile.

"So why didn't you take the offer?"

"From what I've heard about Pandora, they're more corrupt than what the Foreign Affairs are at the moment. But, I'm not concerned about that. That Aoki guy bugs me the most. Obviously he wasn't the one in control of Pandora since he was taking orders from someone speaking to him through an earpiece and watching us from a camera."

"What?"

xxxx

Eric stood before a screen that showed Marcile and Matsumoto's car driving away from Pandora. Next to him was Misaki cuffed to a chair. He had been watching Marcile's interview and giving Aoki instructions. Unfortunately, his plan had slightly bombed from Aoki messing with his ear. However, Eric's identity stayed intact.

"He's really smart," smiled Eric. "Smarter than you perhaps, Kirihara-san. He would make a great candidate for Pandora. With you and him on our side, we would be unstoppable."

"So you plan on hunting him down as well," said Misaki.

"In due time. For now, we're concentrating on your boyfriend. I do wonder why he believed we had something to do with your kidnapping."

Misaki knew Li had told him somehow of her disappearance. She was flabbergasted he would risk appearing before Marcile without being shot at, or had he shot at him. She didn't want to speak a word about it since it was her only entertainment seeing Eric's brain pondering on it.

"How do you plan on using me against BK201?" Misaki asked.

"You're the detective. I'm sure you can figure it out," he said, not looking at her.

Misaki had concluded that Eric would say something in that matter. However, she had already speculated Eric's intensions.


	26. Chapter 26

Past Disaster

A/N: As I promised. Happy New Years!

Chapter 26: UB001

Past:

Amber, resembling the age of a twelve year old, stood before her four-year-old son, knowing she had to make an irrational decision concerning Harry. Iasi and QU025 continued their assault on her and him, trying to kill them so that Iasi could see himself as the supreme Contractor. It seemed irrational for one to think that, which proved her theory that her kind was evolving.

First was Bai.

Her concern for Hei grew as she watched him kill for the Syndicate in order to be with her, and Amber's own emotions getting the best of her for him. It hurt her dearly for what she had done to him five years ago, and it killed her that he had no idea they had had a son.

"Mommy, look, I stand one leg," said Harry, as he tried to balance himself, but ended up falling.

Amber smiled at his performance.

Months had past since she had seen her son in the near future. She couldn't believe how much he looked like Hei. Their personalities were similar as well. She didn't see any of her features or any of her traits lingering from him. It was all right with her; knowing that the woman who stole Harry's heart fell in love with the same thing as she had with Hei.

A frown merged on her. It was hard for her to keep the truth from him, but she had to in order to keep her identity a secret. He was kind, heartwarming, and loving to her the whole time. She loved being in his presence every second. The only thing she wished would change was informing Harry from the future that she was his mother. No matter how much she thought it was irrational, she wanted to hear him call her mom.

There was a knock at her door. Amagiri and Brita entered the room and looked at her emotionlessly.

"Are you ready, Amber?" Amagiri asked.

"Yes," she nodded, her heart twisting in knots. She looked over at Harry. "Harry, I want you to close your eyes."

Amber didn't want her son to see her like a monster. Which he did so without any complaint.

Amber placed her hands on his and Amagiri's shoulders, as he held Brita's, and took them back ten years after Hell's Gate and Heaven's Gate appeared. They stood before an orphanage building near Chicago that Amber had found, and knew it would be the best choice for him.

It was three stories tall, fit with bricks with wooden star fixture windows, and a concrete porch that led up to double wooden-arched doors. Amber headed up the stairs and entered the building.

Inside was an office complex with a desk to the right, and couches before them. The floor was made out of marble tile, walls white as snow, and a chandelier above. An old Caucasian woman in her early or late seventies walked over to them.

"Hi, I'm Madeline. Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm here to give this boy up for adoption," said Amagiri.

"A… adoption? May I ask why?"

"Times are tough."

Harry looked back at Amagiri, then at Amber, and said, "Mommy, what adoption?"

Madeline looked down at the boy peculiarly.

"Ignore the boy. Can we get on with the paperwork?"

"Yes. Are you the boy's father?"

"Is that necessary?"

"It would help us to make sure he's not kidnapped or anything and it can benefit the people that adopt him to give him information about his past."

"I would rather leave that out, and I'm sure you can do a background check on him."

"Eh, sure. What's the boy's name?"

"Miracle!" interrupted Amber, as if trying to make sure his identity was hidden.

Madeline glanced at Amber peculiarly, but shrugged it off, and said, "This way, please," leading them into a back room.

She had them sit at a desk and slid some paperwork over to Amagiri. Amagiri looked over at Amber, who nodded for him to fill it out. He put in the name Miracle, his age, weight, eye and hair color. He also wrote out a fake phone number, left the biologic parent's boxes blank, and slid it back to Madeline.

She looked down at it, noticing the empty spaces, and then back at Amagiri to ask about it. However, she zipped her lips as she got a bad vibe from him. She smirked, trying to hide her uneasiness.

"Can we get a picture of you all?" she asked.

"Yes, please," said Amber, her heart skipping.

Her time with Harry was almost at an end, and soon her own existent. Just when she left her life was taken a wonderful change, it was coming to an uncanny end.

"If you don't mind, February, I'm going to wait outside," stated Brita.

Amber stood next to her son while Amagiri settled behind them. Madeline grabbed a digital camera, pointed it at them, and took the picture. Amber spun Harry around and looked into his eyes.

"Harry, I want you to go with this nice lady," she said.

"What? But why, Mommy?" he asked.

"Because I said so. I have to do things for a while, but I promise I'll come back for you."

"Promise!"

Amber smiled, hugged him, and said, "Know that I will always love you." She pushed him at arms length. "Now, go."

Harry looked at her with puppy eyes, turned around, and head off with Madeline. As he exited the room, a tear fell from Amber's right eye.

Xxx

Later on, after they returned to their original time, Amber headed out to clear her head concerning Harry, walking down a long busy four-lane street named Algonquin road. Years ago, she would have easily pushed these thoughts and feelings aside, but she couldn't escape the image of her son's bitter face.

She came up to an intersection close to the ninety-toll road with a gas station on a corner, and a grocery store that was called Mitsuwa's. The store resembled a Japanese building with blue roof tiles, and the parking lot was full of cars that were shaded by a few trees.

Amber knew he would be with a loving family, but it still hurt her dearly that she couldn't watch him grow up into a handsome man. Fate must have been guiding her path.

"Theif!" shouted a store clerk out of the grocery store. "He just stole from us!"

Amber followed to where the clerk was pointing at a boy with blond hair and mismatching eye color, running right from the store entrance with a milk carton and other food supplies.

An Arlington Heights police car happened to be parked nearby. Two officers exited the vehicle and ordered the boy to stop. He didn't, forcing the police officers to follow suite.

The boy touched a tree, making Amber look on peculiarly, but then realized what he was, as he glowed blue and blew up the tree along with the cops.

Xxx

The blond-haired boy hurried down a side street near the grocery store he had robbed and ran into an abandoned backyard. He sat his stolen items behind the back wall, gathered some broken branches, and lit them on fire with his ability. He pulled out a cup from his coat pocket, took the gallon of milk to pour it in the cup, and heated it over the fire.

Once it was hot enough, he drank it to pay his price.

"That's a neat trick," said a girl.

The boy turned to look up and saw a girl with green hair and orange eyes smiling down at him. The boy reached down to touch the ground to blow it up, but before he could, the girl disappeared.

"There's no need for that," she said behind him.

The boy glanced towards her, and asked, "Who are you?"

"Amber. A Contractor, just like you."

"A—a Contractor?"

Amber stared baffled. "You don't know what you are? How long have you had that power?"

"As long as I can remember, but I never cared about what I am."

"Because it's irrational, right?"

The boy stared at her, showing no emotions, and nodded, "Yes."

"How about you come with me. I can provide you with a roof over your head, and lots of supplies of milk to help pay your payment. What do you say?"

The boy thought for a second, and said, "It's the only rational choice. Yes."

Wanting to fill the gap in her heart from giving up Harry, she took the boy under her wing, and figured she could use him in her task at stealing the meteor shard.

"What's your name?"

"Maki."

"Nice to meet you, Maki." Amber smirked while titling her head.

However, as she traveled through time a few more times, she would come to realize Maki would be killed by November Eleven.

Present:

Rumors of the real stars spread throughout the city like it had five years ago. News reporters across the globe gossiped about it every five minutes, or interrupting programs to give a special report to repeat their source.

"_From what we have gathered, this time the real stars will reappear," _said a reporter.

"_If the fake stars do disappear, what will happen to the Contractors?" _a reporter asked a scientist.

"_We're not sure," _said the scientist, seeming either he knew nothing, or was being paid off.

Marcile kneeled in his room eating instant Ramen noodles watching the interview. He frowned at the television, knowing well what would happen to the Contractors, and knew too well of what was going to happen. Saitou, Kouno, Matsumoto and Ootsuka had told him about the events that had occurred five years ago.

Information had been leaked concerning the disaster, but there had been agents or other people that had stated that that wasn't the case of what had happened. They had stated they falsified evidence, making everything seem like a conspiracy against Pandora.

Marcile ignored the interview in order to finish his meal. He was sick of sitting around doing nothing since he was still on leave with pay. He wanted to get back to work and help figure out what had happened to Misaki.

There was still no word on her, making the Higher ups at the Foreign Affairs think of closing the case and pronouncing Misaki dead. However, Naoyasu kept it open since there was no evidence saying she was. Marcile hoped the Syndicate, Pandora, or whoever had kidnapped her didn't get an idea and chop off apart of Misaki to close it.

Marcile wondered what their intentions were anyways concerning Misaki. His first hunch fiddled around with a trap for BK201. However, his so-called father wasn't that ignorant to fall into something like that, but he could be wrong.

His second theory was to bargain her to BK201 to stop him from trying to destroy the Saturn System and save the Contractor. Marcile believed it would go against him, but guessing what BK201 would do was unpredictable. Even though he was a Contractor, he didn't think rationally.

He had a third idea, but he hoped it wasn't true. He pondered on that Pandora would use M.E. on Misaki to wipe her memory of her past and keep her intelligence in tacked to use them for their benefits.

Marcile was tired of thinking. All he knew was that a past disaster was about to repeat itself.

He put down his bowl, stood from kneeling, and walked over to his door to put on his shoes. He exited his room, descended the stairs, and departed the complex. Marcile walked over the bridge, unsure where he was heading, and turned a corner to come up to a cigarette shop.

"Excuse me, sir," said a woman behind the open window. Marcile stopped to gaze at her and see she was an elegant woman with long straight hair that was darkish-brown with bangs. She wore a pink t-shirt and a dark purple skirt that came down to her knees. "Care to buy a pack of smokes? Cheap."

"Sorry, I don't smoke," replied Marcile while waving his hands.

"You Be paying double Zeros times One percent."

"I'm sorry but… wait, that made no sense, miss. That means it's for free."

The girl placed a pack on the stand, pushed it towards him, and said, "Keep warm. February can get cold."

"But it's the middle of June?"

The girl stood and exited the smoke store, making Marcile ponder on the girl's peculiar behavior. Suddenly, a thought hit him as he remembered the girls comment.

"_You Be paying double Zeros times One percent. Keep warm. February can get cold."_

The girl was giving him a clue.

You Be. Double Zeros plus One. February?

"That's it! UB001! Amber!"

Marcile grabbed the pack, opened it, and saw an iPod in it. He pulled it out, turned it on, and saw one mp4 video file on it. He pressed play to have his biological mother appear on it. She had been at least ten-years-old on the video.

"_Wotcher, Harry," _she said with a smile. _"If you're watching this video, then Yin held onto this from the shrine. If Hei had done the opposite of what I had asked him to do, then the Syndicate will try to wipe away my kind again._

"_I'm leaving this message to you in hopes you will help Hei destroy the Saturn System and save Kirihara Misaki. It's your choice, Harry. I will understand if you chose to ignore my plea. _

"_I'm sorry for deceiving you that day. You must understand why I had to lie. Know that, what I'm telling you now; it is from the bottom of my heart. I'm happy to see that you had a pleasant childhood and a wonderful and loving family, one that I knew I could never give you._

"_I am pleased that you have turned into a charming and handsome man, and know that whatever path you choose, I will always hold you close to my heart. I wished nothing more than to spend more time than I had gotten, but that is life, I guess._

"_If there is one thing I could say to you right now, please, keep smiling._

"_Goodbye, Harry."_

The video stopped to have Marcile stare at it dumbfounded. He looked back at where the girl had been sitting and wondered if the girl named Yin had any connections to Hei.

Xxx

Misaki woke in her room to someone coughing heavily. She stood from her bed and ran into the living room to see Schrader kneeling on the ground holding his chest. Blood spatter lay under him, informing her he had coughed up blood.

"Somebody, we need help in here!" shouted Misaki. "Dr. Schrader isn't feeling well."

"Eh, it's all right, young lady. I'll be fine. It's like this with me all the time."

"You need to see a doctor."

"Heh, you forget I'm dying. I don't plan to die until I see my invention wipe away all the Contractors."

Misaki stared at him baffled as she wondered what to say after his comment. She couldn't praise him for his determination, but she was also astounded at his effort to fight against his illness.

The door leading to their imprisonment opened to show Eric and Hourai standing in it.

"Not doing well, Doctor?" Eric asked with a smile.

Schrader gazed at Eric for a second, and then gasped, as he shouted, "Oh… used the boy… to bring you back. You looked better… as a guy," he chuckled while coughing up more blood.

"Your body is ready and waiting, Dr. Schrader."

"After the annihilation of those monsters."

"So be it."

"You can't be serious about continuing to live in a clone?" questioned Misaki at Schrader.

"Young lady, I'm not ready to die just yet. I want to see what tomorrow brings, and so forth."

"And so forth? You mean life beyond our time! Immortality! That's absurd! Nobody should be granted such a thing!"

"Enough of the bickering," spoke up Eric. "By this time tomorrow, the existence of Contractors will only be a memory."

xxx

Gossip about the stars continued to flow like a rapid after a major down pour. Teenagers, young adults, and kids muttered at how they were excited to see the moon and real stars for the first time. Stores were closing early so that they could clean up and get their chances to see the sky.

At Gai's place, Kiko babbled at how excited she was and demanded they go out somewhere to celebrate. On the sidewall was a sign that said, "Today's objective, find an excuse to fire Kiko!"

"You're falling for such a thing again, Kiko," muttered Gai while leaning back on his chair. "Didn't you learn three years ago?"

"It was five years ago, Boss!" yelled Kiko.

"No it wasn't. I have a great memory of the day. Some skinny girl with her grandfather asked us to go around and find out information about the real stars."

"No it wasn't! It was five years ago, and an over sized boy with his grandma asked us to do it!"

"Wrong, Kiko."

Kiko frowned at his terrible memory and stormed out of the office.

At the Homerun House, Rika swept the floor quickly as her father hurried to finish the dishes. She had been disappointed the last time and prayed the real stars would appear tonight.

On the first floor in Misuzu's apartment complex, Marcile's neighbors blazed away, drinking beer and sake while waiting for the hour to arrive. The place was trashed of spilt alcohol, chips and dips, and other eatable items: at least he thought some of the stuff was edible.

Marcile stood on the bridge nearby, leaning forward against the railing, as he listened to his rowdy neighbors. He watched the sun start to set, as he fiddled with the iPod over the ravine, contemplating on what he should do.

In the past, he would have thrown the iPod in the water and ignored the message, but after what he had seen and experienced these past few months, he couldn't decide. It seemed everything he had taken in was years of knowledge crammed into his brain in one day. His brain felt like it wanted to explode.

"Mars-sama?" muttered Azumi to his right. He gripped the iPod in his hand and turned to face her. She was dressed in a tight light blue shirt, blue mini-skirt, and black nylons with a pink wool newsboy hat slanted sideways. "What're you doing?"

"Thinking," he replied.

"About?" she smiled, as she slid up beside him to lean forward and stare into his eyes.

Marcile chuckled, believing she hoped he was thinking about her.

"Events that have happened," he said.

"Like what kind of events?"

Marcile gazed sideways to meet her eyes, and said, "You, for one." Her smile grew as wide as it could go, her cheeks turning pink red. He peeled his eyes away from her to stare at the Gate in the distance. "The other is my destiny."

"Your destiny?"

"Ah. I found out some important information these past few months and I don't know how to deal with it. I keep playing things over and over in my head, hoping to get an answer, but none comes to me."

"Does any of it have to deal with me?"

Marcile gulped, knowing Azumi was going to ask that question.

"Pa—partially," he stuttered. "If I chose wrong, I could lose not only my job at the Foreign Affairs," he looked back at her, "but you as well."

"What is it that you uncovered that could put you in so much danger?"

Marcile stared into Azumi's eyes as hers looked to find answers of his situation. He looked back at the Gate and said, "You remember that man with the mask."

"How could I forget? He haunts me in my dreams. Does it have something to do with your lost boss?"

"It does. If I do what it takes to save Misaki-san, to make sure she is saved, then that alone could get me into trouble. In other words, it means helping the masked man, and he's a known criminal."

Azumi stood in silence as she took in what he had said. She pushed that aside, took a hold on his face, and turned it to kiss him. She pulled away to stare into his eyes.

"Whatever the case maybe, you must follow your heart," she whispered.

Marcile kept his gaze on her, thinking about her comment, and listening to what his heart was saying. All it was telling him right now was to be with the one person he held closest to his heart.

He pushed away from the railing, placing the iPod in his pocket, and wrapped his arms around Azumi to continue kissing her. He would spend this night with her and worry about what will happen tomorrow.

In the distance, a girl with green hair in a blue school uniform walked off.

xxx

Night had engulfed the city. None of the buildings had their lights on, giving the city a ghostly feeling.

Hei sat on the edge where Misaki and he had waited five years ago to see the real stars. He stared up at the fake ones, feeling nostalgic without Misaki being by his side. He wished she was with him, but because of the Syndicate, she was probably strapped to a chair somewhere in Pandora. If they had hurt her in anyway, he would personally kill them.

"Are you gazing at the stars again?" said a voice to his right.

Hei's eyes lit up and looked towards it to see thirteen-year-old Amber standing nearby.

"Am—what, how?" muttered Hei.

"You should know the answer to that question, Hei."

"But why?"

"I had to see you. I wanted to see you, and to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For not telling you about Bai's plan. For not telling you about Harry. For sending him back in time so that he could have a life."

"Amber. You have nothing to apologize for." Hei jumped from the cliff to stand before her. "It is I who…"

Amber placed her lips to Hei's, as a tear escaped her right eye. Hei looked on baffled, but he gave into the kiss. The feelings and emotions made him feel like he was back in South America on her bed. Her lips tasted like they had when she had kissed him at the shrine in which left her bitter sweet taste on him.

Tears began to trickle down her cheeks, staining his shirt, but he ignored it.

Everything seemed to vanish. It was only her and him, the way it should have been after the war. He wanted this feeling to stay, but he knew it wouldn't stay; it would end for them both today.

Minutes later, she pulled away while smiling.

"Watch over him, please, Hei," she pleaded.

"I will." Amber glowed blue and then disappeared from Hei's sights. A tear formed in his left eye and fell to the ground. "Goodbye, Amber."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Armageddon

Past:

Time had reached a previous time Amber had visited. It was early in the morning, and she and Maki decided to take a trip to steal the meteor shard.

Building forty-five fit tightly between other buildings with a Pizza Hut sign on it.

Amber picked the lock on the front door and entered the vicinity while holding onto Maki's hand. The place was deserted, as she hoped it would be, so that she could reserve her power for tonight's meeting with Hei.

It had been years since she had last seen Hei, but it seemed like decades. However, this Hei wouldn't be so happy to see her. She wouldn't put it past him if he slapped her or worse.

They reached the fifth floor to see it cluttered with cubicles as the morning sun shined through the window. They walked around the desks in order to reach the back where a safe was located. The safe's volt had a huge steel door with a five-foot diameter hand wheel and three locking communications.

"Maki, do your thing, but tone it down," ordered Amber.

Maki nodded, placed his hand on the handle lock, and stepped away while glowing blue to blow up the safe. There was a slight bang sound, and then the huge door swung open. Inside it were a vast amount of money on shelves and the meteor shard sitting in the back.

Amber walked up to it, took the item, and headed out with Maki. She pulled out a cell phone, hit the speed dial, and placed it to her ear.

"We got it. Pick us up in front," said Amber.

"_Understood," _said Amagiri.

Amber and Maki descended the stairs and exited the building,

"Maki, leave a diversion," ordered Amber.

He nodded, placing his mark on the door, and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

They stood waiting for their ride with Amber holding Maki's hand. As time ticked by, Amber noticed April in the distance kicking a can in an alley, which made Amber smile. April turned and noticed them, freaking her out as Amber's ride pulled up. Amber and Maki entered the car to let it ride off with April watching them while chatting on the phone.

Moments later, as they drew away from the building, Maki blew it up.

Xxx

Amber stood in the subway as she had done before. To her relief, her future self wasn't present as she expected. Her future self was probably observing the blast that Maki had caused earlier.

Everything was going according to plan.

She walked off from the train, slid her ticket through the exit gate, and stepped through it. She stopped to look over at the umbrellas, walked over to them to take one, and continuously opened and closed it.

After she picked out one she liked, she kept it open and walked over to the old lady while holding out some change, startling her slightly.

"All right, that'll be four hundred-fifty yen," she said.

Amber handed over the change, walked out onto the street, and smiled up at the late morning sun.

Xxx

Amber headed down the street of Shinjuku that led to the ramen restaurant. As she drew towards it, the door slid open to reveal the same young girl with ponytails from before, watching the news concerning the CIA building being destroyed with the pink girl sitting nearby. Hei wasn't present.

The young girl threw out the water, as Amber used her umbrella to shield herself. The girl looked at her while jumping in fright.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said.

Amber smiled and continued on her way. Things were ticking off smoothly just as she had planned. The city was in a panic, first with building forty-five, then MI-6, and now the CIA. No doubt, word had gotten to Hei that she was in town.

She crossed a bridge in front of an apartment complex, turned a few corners, and came up to the smoke shop. She stopped and looked into it while putting the umbrella over her.

Yin kneeled quietly inside, but her attention shifted as she realized somebody was present.

"It might be strange to hear me say it," began Amber, "but I've really become attached to this name."

Yin raised her head slightly and said, "Amber."

"Yes. Nice to meet you, Yin. It's been a while."

It started to rain heavily.

Present

Marcile held Azumi under his covers, as they lay naked in the darkened room. He didn't know if what he and she had done was the right thing, but he couldn't care less. After today, if he chooses the wrong path, his life would be over.

"Mars-kun," Azumi whispered.

Marcile held her even tighter, not wanting to let go of her and the moment they had shared. It had been so magical and all his worries had vanished in an instant. However, reality had returned for him.

Grumbling sounds could be heard outside, causing Marcile to release Azumi, waking her, and stood to stare out his window. To his shock, military armed vehicles were driving over the bridge.

"Mars-kun, what's going on?" she asked, draping the sheets over her body.

Marcile looked down at her with a terrified look on his face, and said, "Get dressed. I gotta get you home. Armageddon has resurfaced."

"Armageddon?" Azumi shook her head in fright. "No, not like five years ago again."

Marcile kneeled in front of her, taking her hands in his and gazed into her eyes.

"Azumi, everything will be all right," he muttered, causing her to stare at him. "I love you."

He kissed her quickly, and then pushed away from her so he could dress. Azumi, slowly but surely, repeated his actions.

Suddenly, the front door burst open. Marcile, only dressed in his jeans, turned around to see a platoon of men standing in his doorway with their rifles at the ready. Half dressed Azumi, covered her top portion with her shirt shaking in fright.

"What is the meaning of this?" questioned Marcile, as he stood in front of Azumi.

"You are Fukazawa Marcile, right?" the leader of the pack asked.

"Detective Fukazawa Marcile of the Foreign Affairs," he said while pulling out his badge to show the military man. "I know the law of this city, and you, being a part of Pandora, have no authority to bust down my door!"

"We have been given the right by the government of this city, and we have probable cause to invade your home. We are here to place you and your girlfriend under arrest."

"On what charge?"

"Conspiracy of being in league with EPR."

"In league with EPR? Where's your proof?"

Marcile was trying to call their bluff. There was no way Pandora could know his true inheritance. They were merely coming up with an excuse so that they could deliver him to Pandora and do what they pleased. To his dissatisfaction, Azumi happened to be with him.

"Enough talk! Arrest them!"

Azumi trembled; making Marcile cuddle her as the platoon drew to take them into custody. He didn't want this to happen. At least he didn't have to worry about choosing a side.

Unexpectedly, a wire wrapped around one platoon man's neck, getting electrocuted. The other platoon members trained their guns at their colleague to see him fall forward unconscious, and then followed the line where BK201 stood in the doorway.

Marcile's eyes widened, as Azumi whimpered in fright while the platoon men shouted, "Kuro no Shinigami!"

The platoon men started firing, but their bullets merely bounced off his coat. He ran into the mist of them, sweeping a military man in the process, and then pulling out his knife to stab it into another man's arms in order to make him drop his rifle. BK201 charged at another guard, grabbing him by his head, and slamming him to the ground to shock him. He whipped out his wire to wrap it around a guard and electrocuted him.

Marcile watched in amazement, holding Azumi close to him, as BK201 made easy work with the platoon.

After he was finished, he stood in a straight posture, staring at Marcile with his preys lying unconscious on the ground.

"Why?" Marcile asked. "Why did you save us?"

"Amber asked me to watch over you," said BK201.

"A—Amber?"

"Finish dressing. We have to get her home."

Azumi looked on puzzled at why someone as frightening as him would be so kind. Marcile contemplated on that also. BK201 exited the room so that the young couple could dress.

Once they were clothed, BK201 guided them down the stairs and out of the complex to watch the armored vehicles roll by, as though they owned the streets.

Once they passed, the trio started to make their way over the bridge.

"You three, halt!" shouted a uniformed man.

Marcile jumped in front of Azumi, drawing out his gun, as BK201 pulled out a knife and charged at the squad. The men opened fire to have their bullets bounce off easily. Marcile shot at a guard, hitting him in the leg, while BK201 sucker punched two in the process. BK201 ducked the butt of a gun, knocked it out of the soldier's grip with his knife, caught it in mid air, and swung it across the soldier's face, breaking his nose. BK201 quickly kicked behind him to send another soldier backwards, and then roundhouse kicked a third.

BK201 shielded himself from four remaining soldiers' fire, causing Marcile to shoot off a round, and striking a soldier in his arm. His three colleagues trained their rifles on Marcile, which gave BK201 an opening, and threw his knife to stab a soldier's trigger hand, and make mints meat out of the other two.

Marcile walked up to BK201, as the Pandora men lay growling in pain, and said, "How about giving your coat to Azumi since it's bulletproof."

"I would, but it only works when I wear it," stated BK201.

Marcile frowned.

They continued running down the street until they reached Azumi's place. They quickly ascended to her floor and stepped before her door with BK201 keeping watch.

"I want to stay with you," she pleaded.

"It's too dangerous, Azumi," stated Marcile, his hands caressing her shoulders. "You'll be safe here."

"But weren't Pandora given orders to arrest me too? They'll come here and finish the job."

"No they won't. They don't know who you are. They never said your name, and they only said that because you were with me. If you stay with me, at least for today, you might get hurt, or worse.

"I love you so much."

"And I love you."

She placed her hands on his cheek and kissed him, making them think it would be the last time, as tears ran down her cheek. She pushed away, wiping at them, and entered her home.

"Azumi? Where have you been?" her mother asked.

Marcile and BK201 didn't stick around to hear anymore of the conversation. They stormed down the stairs and headed back over the bridge.

"Lovely girl," said BK201. "You two played it safe."

"Excuse me?" Marcile blushed.

"Protection."

"Wait—what? We're not having this conversation, are we? I already had it when I was fourteen. And besides, what about you and Misaki-san?"

BK201 stared at Marcile, who held his composure, forcing BK201 to look away and succumb to defeat.

Marcile smiled, and said, "To the Victor goes the spoils!"

BK201 located a car a few blocks down. He stepped before it to place his hand on the door and used his power to unlock the doors.

"Get in," he said to Marcile.

Marcile nodded, opening up the passenger side door, as Hei opened the driver's side, and entered it. With the help of his power, Hei ignited the engine and drove off towards Hell's Gate.

Xxx

Misaki, still dressed in robes, was guided into the control room with Dr. Schrader. To his luck, his health took a quick plummet and he had to be wheeled in with an oxygen mask.

Eric stood before the glass window smiling with glee, as he rocked on his heels. He turned around to gaze at Misaki who was being seated and hand cuffed to the chair.

"You won't get away with this," she said. "Hei will stop you. He will keep on stopping you every time."

"Not this time, Kirihara-san," said Eric. "Look at the screen closer."

Misaki did so, noticing that the screen had the Earth on it with Japan in view. Her mind bobbled around why they were viewing from outer space, and then she gasped as she remembered talk of important work being constructed in space.

"It can't be? You built the Saturn System in space?" she questioned.

"Yes we did. And it's not called the Saturn System, but Uranus." A guard chuckled, causing Eric to glare at him. The guard gasped and quickly went back to his duty. Eric looked around the room. "Anybody else find that funny?"

"No, sir!" the guards shouted.

"Good!" He looked back at Misaki. "We figured, to avoid the little problem last time, it'd be best to station it where BK201 can't get to it. We have a decoy waiting for him. Once he reaches it, my men hiding in there will kill him." He looked over at a guard standing next to him. "Any word about Detective Marcile?"

"Got away, sir," said the guard. "The report is that BK201 had saved him."

"BK201? How interesting. At least we know they're together. Once they reach that room, they both will be eradicated. How long until we can launch the Uranus System?"

"Six hours and counting, sir."

"Good."

xxx

Hei drifted around covers, speeding like a maniac trying to avoid Pandora's troop shooting at them. Marcile pressed his hand up on the cross bar while grinding his teeth from the G-force, glancing over his shoulder at times to watch their pursuers.

"I thought they only wanted to arrest me!" shouted Marcile, looking over at Hei.

"That's the idea, but they have probably been given the go-a-head to kill you," said Hei. "They just have to make sure they don't damage your brain."

"Oh, right. M.E. Who was it again who invented that machine? Some guy in Russia, right? Pa—Pavio something."

"Pavlichenko. Dr. Pavlichenko."

"Oh yeah, that's the moron. What happened to him? He was killed, right?"

"By me."

Marcile glared at him dumbfounded, and said, "Should I even ask?"

"No."

After a few more sharp turns, two dozen bullets, and a nauseating feeling in the pit of Marcile's stomach, Hei drove into a tunnel after losing their pursuers. He pulled over and gestured Marcile to exit the vehicle. Marcile wanted to know why, but figured his questions would be answered and did what was asked.

They stepped through an access door and entered a subway tunnel that wasn't in use anymore. To Hei's surprise, Yin was waiting for them.

"Where've you been, Yin?" Hei asked.

"Finishing up errands, Hei," said Yin.

"Errands?"

Yin pointed at Marcile, causing Hei to stare back at him baffled.

"I knew you were connected to Hei," said Marcile to Yin.

Hei shook the thought away. Things were a mystery with Yin sometimes, and he figured to leave it alone. They continued walking down the subway with Marcile gazing around baffled, wondering what the purpose of strolling down an old subway tunnel was.

Minutes later, they came up to a section that had a few destroyed pillars and a wall that seemed to have been blasted open.

"What is this place?" Marcile finally asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.

"Another way into Hell's Gate," said Hei. Marcile's eyes widened for a second. "It only feels like yesterday that I had fought Wei here."

"Wei?"

Unexpectedly, a small-narrowed device dropped at Hei, Marcile and Yin's feet. On it, a red light started blinking fast. Figuring out what it was, Marcile ran to hide behind a pillar while Hei grabbed Yin and jumped them to safety, as it exploded with shrapnel fluttering everywhere.

Marcile peeked at the clutter of smoke to see a person standing in the mist of it. Without warning, the unknown attacker charged at Hei. Hei blocked a kick, ducked a punch, and back flipped a few times to avoid a bicycle kick.

Hei gathered some distance while eyeing his opponent and trying to get a fix on him in the cloud of dust.

"Still quick on your feet I see, BK201," said the person who sounded like a woman.

The cloud of smoke cleared to show his attacker was a female in a red Chinese dress. Hei gazed at her, noticing she was Chinese, and then realized she looked similar to Wei.

"You're… his sister?" he questioned.

"Far from it," she smirked. "Thanks to a boy who was kidnapped three years ago, I have been reborn, even if I'm a woman now."

"Wei?" Hei gasped.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: Only two chapters left! Sorry I took a while to post this, but it has gotten real busy at my work. I'm working 7-6 on the weekdays, and 7-noon on Saturdays, and it doesn't look like it's going to let up anytime soon.

I'll try to get the next one posted before the end of this month, and that's no April fools.

Chapter 28: Parcel for a Champ

Past:

Amber sat next to Yin on the steps of the shrine, waiting for Hei. Her heart pounded heavily to see him again, but she knew it would not be a pleasant one. She wished she had not left Hei alone in Heaven's Gate. She could say she had no choice, but she would be deceiving herself.

"We have a child," said Amber to Yin, causing Yin to pivot her head towards her. "Harry's his name. He goes by Marcile these days. He looks so much like him. His eyes, his smile," she chuckled unexpectedly, "his hunger.

"It's funny to say this for a Contractor, but… I love him." Her mood changed. "However, I had to give him up."

She explained the details of QU025 trying to kill him, and then her taking him to the past. Amber knew it was irrational to tell Yin, but it felt right.

"He would be fourteen now," she finished with. "There is something I need you to do the day before the Sunspot's next cycle." Amber pulled out an iPod and handed it to Yin. "Wait for Harry at the smoke shop in Shinjuku and give that to him."

Yin nodded.

There was an explosion in the distance, causing Amagiri to glance over his shoulder to stare at it.

Amber titled her head forward while closing her eyes, and said, "He'll be here soon." She lifted her head up while smiling. "See."

Hei limped up the stairs leading to the shrine, looking to be in pain with hatred in his eyes. Unable to control her feelings, she hopped to her feet to run towards him, and said, "Are you hurt? Let me see!"

As she reached for his wounded leg, he smacked her hand aside. She expected him to do so, and smiled up at him.

"You've gotten big, Hei."

"I don't intend to forgive your betrayal," said Hei. "But, before I kill you, I want to ask you something." He stepped closer to her. "What happened back there? Where is my sister?" he growled.

"Not even the slightest pleasantry, first?" She scratched the back of her head, as she closed her eyes. "Not a, 'Long time, no see,' or a, 'My, you're looking pretty as usual?'"

"Answer me, Amber!"

She opened her left eye with her lips pursed, lowered her hand, and said, "Do you want to see Bai?" while opening her other eye. She amusedly smiled at him. "Shall I tell you how you can?"

"Where is she?"

"So far," she pressed her index finger to his heart, "and yet so close." Hei smacked her across her face, surprising her and tearing her heart to pieces. She bottled the feeling up, and said, "Come with me, Hei. If you do, I'll let you see her."

_And tell you about our son,_ she wanted to say, but she kept it to herself.

It was not the right time to mention Harry. It would only provoke him more. However, she already knew Hei's answer.

"What if this city were to sink into darkness in the process?" Amber continued saying instead. "What would you do, Hei?"

Hei looked at her baffled, but then grinded his teeth in anger, growling, "Don't toy with me…!"

His eyes burned with discuss and hatred, as hers glimmered with sorrow.

Kirihara Misaki appeared at the stairs with her gun drawn, shouting, "Don't move!"

Unable to control his emotions, Hei began to radiate blue, surprising Misaki. Yin stood while reaching out her arms, pleading, "Don't!" as Amagiri raised his arm, shouting, "Move, Amber!"

Amber, knowing how everything would turn out, highlighted in blue and froze time. The air radiated purple while she glowed gold. She walked up to Hei and stared up into his eyes that seemed cold and distant.

"Hei, I've traveled a long way. All throughout time." Her heart sank. "I always missed you. I always, always wanted to see you."

She stood on her toes to give him a kiss while imagining a world where they lived happily together with Harry, which caused a tear to drip down her cheek. She stepped away from him to walk back to the shrine.

"See you," she said to Yin, as she headed past her.

Amber stood before Amagiri, flicking her finger on his forehead to unfreeze him, and having him look on stunned.

"Let's go!" she said.

"There's a limit to how long you can make your obeisance!" he shouted at her, as he followed Amber towards the stairs. "Be careful with how you use it!"

"Surely this was the right time," replied Amber, stopping to stare at the woman who was going to steal Hei's heart five years from now.

Amber felt jealous, but she was also happy that she would make him smile again. However, it would not last between the two.

Present:

Hei stared at a female version of Wei. He remembered tracking the Syndicate to Russia a couple of years ago where they were attempting to kidnap a boy named Shion Pavlichenko. It was rumored the boy could clone people, but there were drawbacks, as he could tell with Wei.

When Hei had arrived at Pavichenko's residence, the place had been demolished and everyone had his and her memories wiped. The only one left besides the doctor was his daughter, and she was already dead. When Hei arrived to meddle with the Syndicate's plan, he had noticed Dr. Pavlichenko using M.E. on her. Hei couldn't control his anger at the thought that someone could mess with the dead like that and killed him for it.

"It's weird though," spoke up Wei. "I have no memory of things before I met you at Alice's party, and yet I don't care since I so badly want to kill you. This pain I feel is worse than when I blew myself up. My pride, whatever it is, is dying to have its revenge."

"Marcile, you and Yin stay back so I can deal with him," said Hei.

"You mean her," corrected Marcile.

Hei paid no attention to his comment and stepped before Wei. Wei, smiling with glee, pulled out a bomb, and threw it at Hei to have him jump out of its path. Marcile cringed in fright and jumped out of its range while pushing Yin to safety.

It exploded; crumbling two pillars while kicking up dust, and having Marcile cough from it. He looked around and spotted Hei swinging on his wire, as Wei continued throwing two more bombs, missing Hei by centimeters.

"That's cheating! Fight him fair!" shouted Marcile.

However, the two combatants ignored him and continued their uncoordinated dance. Hei released his wire to land next to Wei, ducked under a punch while performing a sweep kick to have Wei hop over it, as he executed a spin kick, forcing Hei to block it with his right elbow.

Hei pulled out his knife to jab it at Wei's face. Wei jerked his head left, right, and then backwards to perform a bicycle kick that struck Hei's chin, making him flip backwards to gather some room.

However, that was what Wei wanted, and threw another bomb. Hei whipped out his line, connecting to something, and flew off to avoid the explosion. He landed at a distance and glared back at Wei who was smiling with joy.

"It seems, now that I posses a girl's body, I have the speed this time," taunted Wei.

Hei stood in silence for a few seconds before pointing his knife at Wei, and said, "Check your left cheek."

Wei frowned and touched her cheek to feel she was bleeding from a cut that traveled from her corner lip to her ear. She licked her blood, remembering how it tasted, and then clenched her teeth while taking out another bomb. She hit the arm button and threw it. Hei didn't move, making Marcile's eyes widen and believe he was insane if he thought his coat would save him from the explosion. However, at the last second, Hei caught the bomb and tossed it back.

Wei gasped and roundhouse-kicked it aside before it exploded two seconds later. She returned her attention towards Hei, but noticed he was missing, and then she found herself ducking a kick from out of thin air, back flipping a sweeping kick, and blocking punches and kicks. Wei punched and kicked Hei in his chest, sending him back a few feet, and hurled another bomb at Hei.

Hei gasped as it came centimeters to him, and then exploded.

"HEI!" shouted Marcile.

Wei smiled, swaying her hips, as she walked over to the cloud of smoke, and said, "Looks like Kuro no Shinigami finally met his match."

He stopped before it, waiting for the soot to settle. Marcile's heart began to race at the thought BK201 had been disintegrated, which meant that he was going to be Pandora's Guinea Pig.

Wei glared into the smoke, trying to see any signs of a mangled body, but as the dust cleared, Wei freaked out and began looking around the rundown subway. Her eyes fixated on a figure in black standing a few feet away. She grinded her teeth and began searching for another bomb in her pocket. To her dissatisfaction, she couldn't locate anymore.

"Looks like your parlor tricks are up," taunted Hei, and then pulled on something.

To Marcile's and Wei's surprise, Hei somehow had wrapped his wire around Wei's neck without either of them realizing. The next thing Wei felt was her body being electrocuted.

xxx

Eric stared through the window that looked into the control room, watching the people work frantically to make sure everything was in order. Misaki, displeased she was still handcuffed to the chair, stared at him with a distasteful feeling. She was a few meters from him, and she couldn't do a thing to stop him.

To her dissatisfaction, Hei and Marcile had no idea that they were heading into a trap. She pictured them stepping into the room and then them being pulverized by over four dozen bullets.

She looked over at Dr. Schrader to see him sitting in his wheelchair having trouble breathing with the oxygen mask. He didn't have long now, and it was merely hours left for his existence to be known, at least in his decaying body.

"I still can't believe you want to save those monsters, Kirihara," spoke up Hourai to her right.

"They're human beings," defended Misaki.

"How do you figure? They are a disgrace to this world. They have abilities we can only dream of having. They would kill you or me in a matter of seconds, and they think only rationally."

"Not all of it is true. November Eleven didn't think rationally when he killed his commander. Amber thought irrationally when it came to her feelings towards Hei. He could have done what his sister had done at Heaven's Gate, but he chose both humans and Contractors."

Hourai stared at her with the same look he had given her five years ago before he started choking her.

"You choose him over anybody in this room. Your train of thought will have to be retrained so that we don't encounter such a thing."

"How will you copy mine if the Contractors are dead after you're done killing them?"

Hourai smiled and said, "That has already been taken care of. All we need now is your memory."

"What did you say?" questioned Misaki. "How and when?"

"Before you woke up and had your little talk with Dr. Schrader after your arrival. We even have a meteor shard ready for your clone's use."

"If that's the case, then why am I still alive?"

"To have you watch your beloved Contractor die before your eyes, along with his son," said Eric, turning around to face her. Misaki gasped, as her eye pupils dilated. "You didn't think we knew? We, the Syndicate, know anything and everything. It's no mystery that February and Hei had a night together, and it is no mystery that you and BK201 had had intimacy."

"Why then? If you knew Marcile's identity, then why haven't you killed him for who his parents are? Surely you all must think it's wrong for a Contractor and human to have kids."

"We do, Kirihara," said Hourai.

"And we will take care of that when it comes time, but we want his memory as well," finished Eric.

"And I take it you have a body ready for him as well," replied Misaki. "Even if you used Shion to copy you all, you can do it only this once since your little invention will kill him too."

"We… planned on… that," coughed Schrader, as he removed his mask. "Once I get… my new body… I will work on… creating… clones…"

"You're mad!"

"It's not madness, Kirihara," said Hourai. "It's to ensure our immortality and to maintain World Order."

"What?"

"Kirihara, what has been the theory that caused the Gates in South America and here?" said Eric.

"Meteors have been that theory. Hold on, don't tell me the Syndicate has known all this time what has been the death of millions and the creations of Contractors and Dolls."

"We do. We were the cause, not a meteor." Misaki's eyes widened. "We were merely testing a new type of device that could transport humans from one place to another. However, it went terribly wrong."

"Don't tell me? You tried it on the day of the explosion! What was it that covered the real sky to create new stars and Contractors?"

"That alone is the mystery we are trying to discover, but we do believe it has something to do with the meteor shard we had found in South America.

"You heard of the stories about a meteor hitting the Earth six billion years ago to wipe out the dinosaurs, right. During the digging at that sight, someone had found the shard. We, the Syndicate, got our hands on it and began some tests. We discovered that it was giving off what was like radiation, but to no harm to humans. Therefore, we built a machine here in Japan and South America to try the first human teleportation.

"One person, the wife of Dr. Pavlichenko, had come to us and warned us not to do it. She had said she had done some tests herself, and she theorized a huge explosion was going to happen and it would cover up the sun.

"We ignored her warning of course, and now we have a huge mess we must clean up."

Misaki gulped. The men before her were madder than the Contractors they were trying to extinct. She had one more ace up her sleeve though.

"You think it will stick?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You said you needed that thing around your neck to keep the memory in check. Once you wipe out the Contractors, don't you think you'll wipe out the things that Shion created?" Eric and Dr. Schrader gazed at Misaki peculiarly, as sweat rolled down their faces. "You never even thought about it, have you?"

Eric averted his attention from Misaki, seeming a little weary.

xxx

Hei, Yin and Marcile ascended the long abandoned subway to step onto the streets that were doused in mist. The roads were filled with potholes that had weed-like plants growing from it, and buildings cracked that had missing windows. Behind them stood the wall with a tall rectangular pillar, which had an enclosed catwalk connecting to it and a glass globe.

Marcile gazed around the area astounded.

"And I thought the roads in Michigan were bad!" he said.

"This way," said Hei, as he guided Yin towards Pandora.

Marcile sighed and followed them. He hoped he was making the right choice since his stomach was turning inside out.

"So how are we getting in?" he asked. "Through the roof or some secret tunnel?"

"The back door," said Hei.

"Back door? Wouldn't it be guarded?"

"Most likely."

"Wouldn't it be more prudent if we found an alternate route in?"

"There isn't. There's another way out from inside the Gate, but only one way in Pandora."

"Oh, great!" moaned Marcile while rolling his eyes.

They came up to the rectangular pillar to see a shaft that held an elevator. Two guards in Pandora outfits stood before the pillar talking to each other. Hei held up Yin and Marcile and gestured for them to wait until it was clear.

"I can help!" pleaded Marcile, not wanting to be put on the sidelines.

"It's for your own safety," stated Hei.

"My safety?" questioned Marcile, his right eyelid slanting. He frowned, believing Hei was trying to protect him since he was his kid. "Don't pamper me!"

"I want you to stay back because I've seen how you fight. Good thing you have Azumi to protect you."

Marcile opened his mouth to give him a tongue-lashing, but he couldn't find a comeback. He cursed while escorting Yin to a secluded area. Hei approached the guards while staying in the shadows.

"You hear that new song by Nina Mizuki?" the guard to the right asked.

"Yeah! Awesome!" said the guard to the left. "Although, I don't know about a human falling in love with a Contractor thing. How did that one part go?

"_Just gonna stand here all day, _

"_Praying that you will find your way to me. _

"_Just gonna stand here all night, _

"_Hoping that you will find your way into my arms._

"I found that kind of creepy, but the rest was good."

"Really? I loved that part! With the guitar and all! And then Gackt coming in after that was the best!"

"You know what I like the best?" said Hei from behind them. The guards turned around, jumping out of their skins. He grabbed their guns and sent enough energy into them to knock them out. "You two being unconscious."

Hei motioned for Marcile and Yin it was cleared. They left their hiding spot to join up with Hei, stepped into the elevator, and road it up with Marcile gazing at the part of Tokyo he may never see again.

"And I thought Detroit was bad!" he repeated.

"You haven't seen Singapore," replied Hei.

The elevator reached the catwalk and opened its doors, allowing Hei, Yin and Marcile to head down it. At the end of the hall were two more guards. They pulled out their guns and fired, forcing Hei to step before Marcile to shield them with his coat, and fling two knives to knock away their rifles. Hei charged at them faster than lightning and quickly knocked them out.

"Some Contractor you are!" challenged Marcile, as he and Yin came up to Hei. Hei looked back at him baffled. "You're not even killing them!"

"I figured you'd give me an ear-lashing about it. If you'd like, I can do that."

"Eh, no. That's fine!"

They cautiously entered Pandora, keeping an eye out for any trouble while making their way in the brightly lit labyrinth. At least it seemed that way to Marcile.

As they were about to round another corner, Hei held them up since there were two other guards. Hei stormed at them, freaking them out as they tried to train their guns on him, but they were a millisecond too slow, and were knocked out by a quick blow to their necks.

Hei straightened out his composure, but frown as he heard a toilet flush and saw another guard exiting a bathroom. The guard gasped in fright, pulled out his gun, and aimed it at Hei's head.

As the guard was about to pull the trigger, Marcile snuck up behind him and struck the back of his head with the butt of his gun. The guard's eyes rolled up into his socket and fell forward unconscious.

"Told you I can be of help," defended Marcile. Hei stared at him for a second, and then continued down the hall. "Oh! You're welcome by the way!" He snorted.

Marcile and Yin followed Hei with them reaching their destination moments later. They entered a room to see a huge circular object above them that had a ten-foot diameter rod plunging through it.

Hei began to approach it, but stopped as his attention focused upwards. He charged back, grabbed Marcile and Yin, and threw them to the ground as bullets from above pulverized his coat.

"Ambush!" shouted Hei.

"What do we do now?" Marcile asked.

"Get up slowly and head over to that pump!"

Marcile looked to his right to see a large-sized pump that seemed to be apart of the machine. Hei began to stand with Marcile and Yin shadowing his movements over to the pump to hide behind it. Fire continued to pound around them.

"Kind of stupid shooting around an important machine!" yelled Marcile. "How much you wanna bet this isn't the real system? Now what?"

"You got a gun, use it!"

Marcile snorted, pulled out his gun from his back, and aimed it at someone above them. He pulled the trigger a few times to strike a guard's chest and have him fall and land hard on the ground. He moved to his left, took four shots at another guard, and then a third to his right. Marcile ducked as a few shots ran around him. He removed his empty clip to fit in a fully loaded one and peeked over the pump to fire four shots to take out two more guards.

He settled behind the pump to look over at Hei, but noticed he was gone.

"Where'd he go?" he asked Yin.

She pointed upwards, causing Marcile to follow her gesture, and spotted Hei knock off one guard to have him fall to his death, and stab the remaining guard. Marcile and Yin left their hiding spot; as Hei dropped down to stare at Yin.

"You think you can find the real one?" he asked her.

Yin nodded while placing her hand on the pump with drips of water on it to search Pandora. She stayed that way for a few minutes before she shook her head.

"Not here," she said.

"Not here? How are they planning to wipe out Contractors without a machine?" Hei asked.

Marcile thought on Hei's words for a few seconds to have a theory pop up in his mind, and said, "It's in space!" Hei gazed at him peculiarly. "NASA had launched a spaceship a little while ago! I bet you the new system is circling the Earth as we speak! Genius if you ask me!"

"How am I going to disarm it?"

"I guess the only way is at the control room."

"Too bad you're not going there!" said someone.

Hei and Marcile looked up to see a short girl wearing a bear-hooded sweater smiling down at them from the fake machine. She held out her hand to have a black hole appear, and then a huge man, that looked to be half machine, fell from it. Hei grabbed Yin to yank her out of the path, as Marcile jumped sideways to avoid the attack. Another black hole swallowed the huge man in which it disappeared and reappeared behind Hei with the huge man throwing a right hook. Hei ducked to his right and then leaped to kick the huge man, but he was engulfed by the black hole so that he could be transported to Hei's right, and then received a crushing left jab.

Hei flew backwards, forcing him to fling out his line and soar up onto the ten-foot rod. He looked down at Marcile, and yelled, "THEY'RE AFTER ME! GO! TAKE YIN AND GET OUT OF HERE! GET TO THE CONTROL ROOM AND DISMANTLE IT!"

"What about you?"

"I'LL BE FINE!"

Marcile sighed, took a hold of Yin's hand, and exited the room. They headed down the corridor to find a way out of the labyrinth. However, they ran into a squad that had their guns at the ready.

Marcile dropped his gun while smiling and quickly raising his hands.

"Parley?" mumbled Marcile.

The guards up front looked at each other dumbfounded.

Xxx

Hei jumped off the ten-foot rod while lacing his wire to a pipeline above before the huge man struck Hei with a powerful right. The huge man's fist smashed the rod and had it crumble to the ground. Hei landed on the ground to have the huge man jump from what was left of the rod, forcing Hei to leap backwards, as the huge man slammed his fist into the ground to form a five-foot diameter crater.

A black hole appeared to blanket the huge man and have it materialize by Hei's feet, causing Hei to leap back again to put a blunder on the attack, as the huge man flew out while performing an uppercut.

"What's wrong with you, Champ!" shouted the girl. "Hit him already!"

"Kay, Parcel!" he babbled.

Hei took a fighting stance, preparing for another assault, and didn't have to wait long with the huge man charging and performing a left hook. Hei ducked it and took a shot at his right kidney, but he nearly broke his hand since it felt like stone. Hei dodged left to avoid a forward kick so that he could give a swift left, resulting in Hei shaking his hand in pain.

Hei gasped as Champ cocked back his right fist, brought it forward like a piston, and pounded it into Hei's chest to send him flying back twenty feet before slamming into the wall in a split second. It felt like his heart had stopped for a brief moment, but then it rebooted itself.

Parcel smiled with glee while holding her hand before her to call forth another black hole. To Hei's dismay, it appeared before him. It grew wide in diameter to draw near him, making him gasp. The abyss covered him fully, and then, he disappeared.

The black hole closed with Parcel lowering her hand, pulled out her cell phone to hit speed dial, and placed it to her right ear. It rang a few times before a click sounded to inform the person on the other line had picked up.

"We got him. I just sent him to you," said Parcel.

"_Great work, Parcel! We'll deal with him… Wait! He's not here!"_

"What? That can't be! I saw him get swallowed up myself!"

Somebody snuck up behind her and put a split double-edge knife to her throat, causing her to drop her phone and have it shatter on the floor below.

"Don't blink next time," Hei muttered in her right ear.

"WHAT the?" gasped Parcel.

Champ dropped into a stance to jump up at where she was at, causing Hei to tighten his hold on Parcel.

"Wait, stop, Champ!" shouted Parcel, prompting him to rethink his tactics. "How did you escape?"

"If I were you, I'd let that be the last thing on your mind."

"So what? You going to kill me?"

"I had another idea for you. I need your help taking out a satellite, and your power is something I can use."

Parcel's left eyelid rose, and said, "You want me to teleport you into outer space?" She smiled devilishly. "Sure!"

"Don't get too excited! You're coming with me!"

"WHAT?"


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: The Last chapter is upon us. I want to thank everybody who has taken the time to read my fan-fiction, and especially those who had found the time to leave a review. I hope you enjoy the last chapter as you had with the others.

Chapter 29: A Parting Gift

Past:

Night had fallen on the city of Tokyo. People were turning off their lights in hopes of catching a glimpse at the real stars. Hei and Misaki sat together on a diamond metal plate with a wooden rectangular frame before a tall fence structure, talking about the stars.

"Is everybody going to look up at the sky all night, hoping it clears?" questioned Misaki.

"Do you really want to see the real stars?" asked Hei.

"It's more like I'd rather share them with someone. Then again, we'd never see the old stars while the new ones still shine."

"They're just fakes."

"Even so, if all the artificial stars disappeared, that would be sad, too." Misaki's phone buzzed. She removed her hand from the crack that separated hers and Hei's, and took out her phone to look at it. "I'd better be going. Thanks for listening." Misaki leaped off the structure and looked over her shoulders at Hei. "I was feeling really lost. I guess I was just over thinking things."

Hei smiled down at her, and said, "When you're lost, you should just act on your own instinct." Misaki slightly gasped, having her turn to face Hei. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah! No!" she shook her head. "That's true." She walked up to him and held out her hand. "Thanks for taking me out. I had fun."

Hei looked at her baffled, but smiled and took her hand while saying, "So did I."

"See you later, then."

Misaki grabbed her purse and headed off. Hei stayed where he sat and gazed up at the sky, as though reminiscing on the past.

Unknown to him, Amber, who looked to be eight-years-old, stood in the trees behind the fence structure, watching them. Her heart pounded heavily at how calm they looked together, as she and Hei did on the night she gave him her charm.

She wished she could have that feeling once more, but it could never happen again. Her time was coming to end in a few hours.

Knowing her past self was nearby; Amber turned away from him, a tear escaping her right eye, and headed back to her hideout. However, she made it only a few blocks before realizing someone was following her.

"I was wondering when our paths would cross, madam Oreille," said Amber.

She turned to face the mysterious woman that even plagued her mind.

"You're a hard woman to keep track of," said madam Oreille.

"As you. What do I owe this visit?"

Madam Oreille smiled, saying, "No matter how hard you had tried, it seemed you weren't able to change his destiny, were you. It seems he was destined to be alone, always. I'm baffled at how you would do such a thing for Mr. Kuro no Shinigami? It's so irrational."

"I wanted to see him smile. I've seen so many different futures where he wasn't. I wanted to change that."

"With very little success, I take it."

"You're well informed of the future! How is that, may I ask?"

"We all have our little secrets, like you do concerning Mr. Fukazawa. He looks so much like his father, doesn't he?"

"He does," answered Amber, fixating her eyes on Oreille.

Madam Oreille turned on her heels, waved her hand, and said, "Later, Miss February. Or," she looked over her shoulder, "should I call you… Kimberly?"

Amber stared at Oreille for a moment, trying to remember when she had last heard someone call her that, and said, "I prefer Amber."

Madam Oreille smiled and walked off.

Present:

Marcile and Yin were handcuffed and guided down the long white corridor with their boots clanking on the hard smooth floor. He was surprised that the guards hadn't killed him, making him wonder if they followed Pirate's Code. Parley happened to be the first thing that had come to him and he felt stupid for saying it out loud. It could have been worse. He and Yin could have been being pushed around on a gurney in body bags.

He looked over at her to see she was calm where as he was about to wet his pants. He guessed it was a Doll thing and she didn't have a program to feel or show fear.

He was pushed from behind by one of the guards, as he said, "Eyes forward!"

"Sorry," mumbled Marcile, frowning. "You didn't…"

The guard pushed him again, saying, "No talking!"

Marcile grinded his teeth and thought, if he was given the opportunity, he was going to sucker punch the guard. He fell silent for now while wondering when their journey would end. Apart of him didn't want it to, believing it would be his last and Yin would be taken somewhere to be sold, or have her memory wiped.

They came up to a door to have it slide aside. Inside were a few people. He noticed Misaki off to the side cuffed to a chair next to a man with a mangled white and black beard. He recognized him as the former Foreign Affairs Commander. A woman with brown hair, standing beside an old man who looked to be dying, turned to face him smiling. Behind them was a rectangular window that had a big screen beyond it with a clock on it counting down from ten minutes. A few dozen tables lined up with computers on top.

"Ah, the son of the Black Reaper has appeared!" chimed the woman. "Harry, was it?"

Marcile looked on dumbfounded at her, but he wasn't too surprised.

"We brought him alive like you had asked, ma'am!" said the guard.

"So much for parley!" babbled Marcile.

"Good work, Captain," said the woman. "What of BK201? Is he dead?"

"Last time we heard, Parcel and Champ were fighting him. He shouldn't be a threat."

"Don't underestimate him. You can leave Mr. Fukazawa and the Doll here. Go help Parcel kill BK201."

"Yes, ma'am," said the guard, and exited the room.

"You're the one that was pulling the strings behind the one-way mirror during my so-called interview here," stated Marcile.

"Very observant, like your mother," said the woman. "Nothing got by her before she became a Contractor."

"Your words about Amber aren't going to faze me. Whatever you say can't be worse than knowing your birth parents are Contractors. Who are you?"

"Eric Nishijima."

"I'm sorry, I think your English is a little out dated. You mean Erica."

"No, my English is fine since I'm Japanese-American," Eric said in English.

"You're a clone like that Wei guy! That's one way to get a sex change! No doubt you're going to do that with me and Misaki if we're still alive. I always wondered what I would look like if I were a girl." He frowned while whispering, "Wonder what Azumi would think?"

"Full of a sense of humor. That's something we'll have to extinguish."

Marcile glared at Eric, and said, "Whether I'm me or a clone, I'll always have my sense of humor."

Eric smiled and then turned to face the screen in the other room while crossing her arms.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "Once the Contractors are gone, things will change completely. The world will have its real stars and moon, and we'll have control over everything."

"When someone boosts a lot, they usually have his or her dreams come crashing down."

"We will see, Mr. Fukazawa. It is time."

Eric walked over to a door off to the side to enter through it. Hourai removed Misaki's cuffs from the chair, made her stand while cuffing her other hand, and guided her into the control room, as a guard shoved Marcile into it. They settled in the back of the control room with Hourai and the guard on Misaki and Marcile's sides. The screen showed three minutes on the clock and the crater in the mist of Hell's Gate. Marcile marveled at its size.

Eric stepped over to a counter with a switch on it.

"Why did you leave Hei's side?" Misaki asked Marcile.

"He told me to," said Marcile. "He told me to get here and dismantle the controls. Check one off the list."

Misaki stared displeasingly at his comment. Now wasn't the time for jokes, and she was sure November Eleven would agree.

The clock on the screen read two minutes left.

"Do you have a plan?" she asked.

"Working on it."

"Meaning no!"

"I didn't plan on getting separated from Hei. Didn't plan on getting caught either." He shrugged.

"If you even try to make a move, I'll kill you both," said Hourai, as he pulled out a gun.

Marcile frowned, knowing he had no chance at disarming the former Commander. He hoped Hei would get here soon to save them, but he believed even the great BK201 couldn't make it in under one minute now.

Workers at their desk exerted themselves, clicking switches and hitting buttons while the speakers in the room counted, "T minus, forty seconds… T minus, thirty seconds… T minus twenty seconds… Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five…" Marcile started grinding his teeth together. "Four, three, two, one, zero."

Eric hit a black button on the council, making Marcile cringe and fearing the worse. However, nothing happened, causing Eric to hit the button furiously a few more times.

"What…? NO! Not again!" she shouted. Se turned to one of his assistant. "What happened?"

"Dunno, ma'am!" said the assistant, as he analyzed his equipment. "Everything seems to be in order, ma'am!"

"Pull up the video screen of the system!"

"Yes, ma'am!'

The assistant hit a button to bring up a different view on the screen. It showed a desert land and a city in the distance.

"What the…? Where is that? Zoom in!" shouted Eric.

The distant land grew in size as the camera lens widened. It showed the Eifel tower, the Pyramids of Egypt, and the Statue of Liberty all in one spot with a building that had flashing signs surrounding it.

"That's Las Vegas, Nevada!" shouted Marcile.

"Las Vegas?" yelled Eric while rounding on Marcile.

He then looked back at the screen displeased and noticed two people standing a few feet away. A black hole opened up to swallow them from existence.

"Parcel! Champ! No! They didn't! Why would they? How did they even know about the system?"

"Elementary, Watson!" said Marcile. "Hei got the upper hand on them and ordered them to teleport the system to Earth or die. What do you think was the rational thing a Contractor would do?"

Eric grinded her teeth together, as her face burned red to where it was about to explode.

"Kill them! Kill them all!"

"I don't think so," said Hourai, turning to face Eric with his gun pointing at him.

Eric snarled, and said, "This again?" He smiled. "I thought you would."

Two shots were fired, causing Hourai to look on startled, and then fall forward dead with his blood pouring out of his body. The guard to his felt had pulled out his own gun and used it on Hourai.

"Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me!" yelled Eric at Hourai's corpse.

"I always liked President W. Bush's version," muttered Marcile.

"Finish them!" Eric ordered the guard, as he glared at him.

The guard turned his gun on Marcile, making him think it was now or never, and knocked the guard's arm aside as he fired. Marcile felt the bullet that had his name on it wiz by his right ear and strike the wall. The guard and Eric looked on baffled, giving Marcile an opening, and punched the guard's face.

Marcile shook his hand in agony while the guard dropped his gun and stumbled backwards. The guard regained his composure, causing Misaki to run towards the gun, slide on his knees and snatched it to aim it at the guard who looked on flabbergasted.

Still shaking his hand in pain, Marcile reached down to pick up Hourai's gun and point it at Eric.

"Check two off the list," muttered Marcile. "How about the keys to our cuffs?"

Eric growled at them, looked at the guard, and gestured for him to give them the keys. The guard slowly reached in his pocket, pulled out a set of keys, and threw it at Misaki. She unlocked Marcile and Yin's cuffs while Marcile kept his gun trained on the guard, and then had Marcile remove hers while she covered them.

"You won't get far! The place is crawling with Pandora soldiers!" said Eric.

"I think we'll take our chances out there instead of in here," said Marcile.

The trio departed the control room, making Eric glare at the guard, and yell, "Well, what are you waiting for? Go get them! And bring back the Doll alive!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Stop calling me ma'am!" Eric growled.

"Yes, ma'am! Eh, sir."

The guard ran after them while calling for backup. Eric looked over at Doctor Schrader who was breathing heavily, walked up to him and turned off his oxygen tank. Schrader looked at him stupidly while finding it hard to breathe.

"Don't worry. It'll all feel like a bad dream," assured Eric, as she smiled.

She headed back to her office, as Schrader suffocated with everybody watching. Eric walked down the hall with sirens going off and red lights flashing every second. She wasn't happy about another failed attempt at ridding the world of the Syndicate's mistakes and having to wait five more years before they could try again.

She entered her office where a woman awaited in his seat. She had luscious blond hair that seemed to shape to her face, purple glasses, a long crimson coat with a black collar and matching high heels.

"Who are you? How'd you get in here? Guards!" shouted Eric.

"No need to get so verbal, Mr. Nishijima," said the woman with a smirk.

Eric narrowed her eyes at the blond-haired woman, saying, "How do you know my name?"

"I'm very informed about everything, Mr. Nishijima. You were born in America to Japanese parents. You're also a high-ranking official within Pandora, which gives you influence over Japanese law enforcement that is connected to Pandora.

"You're also a high-ranking official within the Syndicate, and placed in charge of destroying Hell's Gate after placing orders to terminate Mr. Kuro no Shinigami, Ricardo, Huang and their lovely Doll.

"And yet, in the end, it didn't go well for you with Mr. Kuro no Shinigami destroying the Saturn Ring system and Commander Hourai killing you."

Eric looked at her dumbfounded, and asked, "Who do you work for?"

"Whoever serves my purpose the best!"

Pandora guards came marching into his office, surrounding Eric with their rifles drawn at the blonde-haired woman.

Eric snorted while saying, "It's a shame you don't work for us."

"Actually, Mr. Nishijima, you work for me."

The Pandora guards turned on their heels to train their guns on Eric, surprising her.

"You're under arrest for crimes against Pandora," said one of the guards.

"Is this some kind of joke?" questioned Eric. "Lower your weapons!"

"This is no joke. Surrender or we will have to take drastic measures against you, ma'am."

Eric looked over at the blonde-haired woman.

"You! You're one of the hire-ups, aren't you!" he guessed. "You need me!"

"You're right. We do need you. Some one needs to take the fall for the Syndicate."

Eric's eyes widened, and shouted, "You can't do this to me!"

"It already has happened, Mr. Nishijima."

Eric went to charge after the woman, forcing the Pandora guards to subdue her. She struggled with them, as she was guided out of this office, shouting, "You'll pay for this!"

The blonde-haired woman pulled out her phone to speed dial a number and placed the receiver to her ear. There was a click sound to indicate someone had answered on the other end.

"It's done. It's time for Section Three to surface, Mr. Kobayashi," she said.

"_Yes, Madam Oreille," _said the voice on the other end.

"And make sure we get Pandora off the intruders' backs."

"_Understood."_

She turned off her phone while smiling. All that remained now was getting Kirihara Misaki to join, and that shouldn't be a problem since she had to be close to Kuro no Shinigami. Their lives were never meant to be together, just like Hei and Amber. How life could be so cruel.

Xxx

Hei fought vigilantly against Pandora guards. He punched a guard across the face, kicked another in the gut, and round-housed a third.

A guard snuck up behind Hei with his gun drawn and was about to fire, but someone knocked him out before he could. Hei looked over his shoulder to see Amber standing nearby. She wore her South American outfit, but to his surprise, she was pregnant. He was astounded at how beautiful she looked.

She walked up to him, making him tense to where he could not breathe, and without warning, she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her, falling deeply into her embrace, and not wanting to let go.

He could tell she longed to taste his lips, making him wonder how many months it had been for her since she had last been in his arms. The sensation of his taste didn't make her hold back her feelings.

However, to his dissatisfaction, she pulled away from him to gaze into his eyes, and said, "I love you!"

Amber highlighted in blue and disappeared. He looked for her in the vicinity, but she was nowhere in sight. Within seconds, Marcile, Yin and Misaki came running around a corner.

Unable to hide her emotions, she ran up and embraced him in her arms. However, she noticed his anxiety and pulled away from him to gaze in his unsettled eyes.

"You alright, Hei?" Misaki asked.

"Y—yeah, I'm fine," he lied. "How… how did you three escape?"

"Marcile," she said, and gave a quick version of it.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there in time. The place is swarming with guards. There seemed to be four times as more than five years ago."

More Pandora guards came in to surround the intruders. They looked around them to see there were over a dozen men.

"What now?" Marcile asked, as his eyes took in the scenery.

A guard before them jerked unexpectedly, pressed against his earpiece while titling his head in question, and then nodded as he said, "Understood." He looked at his comrades. "Stand down, men!" The other Pandora men looked on puzzled. "Operation O is now in effect!"

His colleagues nodded in agreement, lowered their weapons, and headed off where they had come.

"What was that all about?" questioned Marcile. "And what is Operation O?"

The intruders walked down the halls, watching their backs for any surprises, but there wasn't any. They exited Pandora without a hitch.

Xxx

The next day, Misaki and Marcile stood before Misaki's father in his office. He sat behind his desk with his elbows on it and his hands placed together.

"Eric Nishijima was arrested by Pandora and is being charged with killing Hourai and Doctor Schrader, kidnapping, and misleading Pandora," said Naoyasu.

"Really?" questioned Marcile. "Why did Pandora change sides?"

"That's not our department to worry about."

"Yes, sir. What now?"

"We continue like nothing happened. Misaki, I am placing you as Section Chief again. The new Commander should be here tomorrow, and I advise you, Misaki, not to over step your boundaries with him. He doesn't like it when he has higher-ups breathing down his back."

"Yes, Father," said Misaki.

"Good! Now get to work."

Misaki and Marcile exited the office and sat at their desks. They had tons of paper work to explain what had happened to them. Marcile had a little more difficult with his story, as he tried to leave out BK201 saving him.

He had written out that he had been captured by Pandora and taken to Eric, which was true in his eyes. Marcile hoped there wouldn't be an investigation on the matter.

Xxx

Misaki entered her apartment with three McDoness bags late at night from filling out a long report on what had happened at Hell's Gate. The only company she had was Marcile. They hadn't left until one in the morning. Saitou and her other colleagues wanted to stay, saying it was not right for them having to work alone. She had to order them to go home.

She placed her food on the coffee table and flopped on her couch while letting out a long sigh. She was starving! She hadn't eaten anything since four o'clock, making her stomach growl every twenty seconds.

Misaki dug into the bag, as if it was a hidden treasure, ripping the wrapper aside, and began eating the burger in four bites. She took out another and quickly downed it.

Before she knew it, she had finished her first bag in minutes. She started working on the second, but stopped when she noticed Hei standing on her balcony. He wore his white shirt that was unbuttoned at the top and blue jeans.

He entered the apartment, having her stand and run into his arms. They kissed each other, drowning into it, but she could feel his uneasiness.

He pushed her at arm lengths and looked into her eyes.

"I'm leaving the city," he said.

Misaki's bottom lip trembled at the news.

"No, you can't," she said.

"I have to. I've already stayed in this city longer than I wanted to. It's only a matter of time before the Syndicate makes their move on me again, and I don't want to put you in anymore danger."

"You don't have to worry about them. They have been eradicated completely!"

"You know that's not true, Misaki."

She did know, but she hoped that that would give them some more time. It seemed Hei wanted to get a head start on things.

"You don't have to worry about me. I can handle myself just fine."

"I know you can, Misaki."

"Then let me come with you."

"I can't. I don't think I could bear the thought of you getting killed because of me."

Li!" she babbled, saying his real name, the name she held close to her heart, as she began crying.

"I'm sorry, Misaki."

A tear left Hei's eye, as he leaned forward to kiss her.

"At… at least… give me one more night with you," she pleaded.

Hei gazed into her eyes, seeing that she was serious, and picked her up to carry her into her bedroom. He laid her on her futon and placed his body on top of her. He lean down and continued kissing her patiently.

This was going to be their last night together and they were going to make it last.

Xxx

Marcile woke up with the sun shining through his window. He rubbed at his eyes, noticing he had fallen asleep in his clothes. He looked at the time to see he was two hours late for work. He blew it off and fell back on his futon to get a few more minutes of rest.

He was also trying to recall his short time in Japan, feeling as though it had been a lifetime. Marcile wondered what his future held for him, and for his girlfriend, Azumi. It seemed funny that his future was also his past.

What a disaster it was.

Marcile stood from his futon, showered, and dressed for work. He exited his room, looking back at the number on the door, and descended the stairs. He started heading for the JR line, but he stopped to see someone sitting on a round bench surrounding a tree in a park with an elephant slide.

Marcile entered it to stand before his biological father and then sat next to him with his elbows resting on his knees.

"I didn't think I would see you so soon," said Marcile.

"I came to say goodbye," said Hei.

Marcile stared at him, not surprised at his words, and then looked forward.

"Where do you plan on running off to?" Marcile asked.

"I haven't decided. Maybe Canada or Iceland for a while. Perhaps India. But that's not why I came by. I wanted to give you something." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a feather charm. He held it out to Marcile in which he took to gaze down at it in his palm. Hei smiled while saying, "It's a charm. Amber had given it to me in South America. I want you to have it now. I hope it makes you smile."

Hei stood as he placed his hands in his pocket and began to leave the park.

"Hei!" shouted Marcile, as he stood. Hei turned to gaze at Marcile. "D—don't think this won't change my mind at tracking you down to arrest you."

Hei smiled, and said, "I hope not. Goodbye, Harry."

Marcile gasped at him for using his birth name. As if using it as a distraction, Hei departed the park to turn a corner. Marcile snapped out of his daze and ran after him.

However, when he turned the corner, there was nobody in sight. Marcile held up the charm at eye level, smiled at it, and then placed it around his neck to head towards work.

In the distance, Amber stood high on a billboard, watching Marcile talking. She knew that that wouldn't be their last meeting.

End


End file.
